Lifestyle

Many service members, veterans, and military families are often targeted by con artists and become victims of a variety of scams. These fraudulent ventures can take on a number of different forms. Often, con artists who target military consumers will falsely imply they are associated with the government or the military in order to build credibility and gain trust. Recently, the FTC has taken action against a debt collector that allegedly made threats when attempting to collect debts from service members, veterans, and their families. This was brought to light after a military consumer filed a complaint regarding a debt collector who posed as a "military liaison" and threatened to disclose a debt to the military consumer's commanding officer. Additionally, they falsely informed the milit...

These days, humans aren't the only ones getting a workout. What happens when your four-legged friend hasn't been getting the cardiovascular exercise? Maybe it's time for a jog at the dog gym. In Alexandria, VA, one of the nation's first dog gyms has opened up. For $50 a month, canines of all sizes get unlimited access to the facility, which is air-conditioned, 6,000 square feet, and has a wide range of available training equipment including treadmills, hurdles, balance beams, and tunnels. The gym, called Frolick, has already welcomed several new members eager to test the waters. It's no secret that Americans love their pets, and Frolick's gym is aware of that. Americans spent $56 billion on their cats, dogs, and other animals last year, and the amount owners are willing to spend on t...

The FBI has released a new safety warning, and the potential threat is none other than refrigerant. As polluting coolants are phased out of the market, illegal air conditioning coolants have been popping up on the market, and according to new reports, these coolants may actually be incredibly dangerous.The FBI is now warning people that coolants that haven't been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency may be more dangerous than just being a potential threat to the environment -- some of these illegal coolants contain propane, which is extremely flammable and can explode when placed near heat sources. ABC News reports that coolant-related explosions have been rare -- but "rare" still implies that explosions have, in fact, been caused by dangerous refrigerant products.The surge in u...

The world of photography evolves as fast as technology does. And if you think you've seen it all after watching tourists take photos with their iPads, think again -- the hottest new way to capture images from a height is the drone. According to a July 16 Huffington Post article, the first-ever Drone Photography Competition recently launched, recognizing photographic voyeurs for outstanding aerial photographs taken from a remotely-piloted drone. The competition, organized by Dronestagram in collaboration with National Geographic magazine and camera manufacturer GoPro, gave out 1st, 2nd and 3rd-place awards for the Judge's Choice, as well as trophies to the three most liked photos on Dronestagram's website, the Huffington Post reported. The prizes for Dronestagram's contest were awa...

Nearly 50 percent of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients have been found to be affected by the Aspergilus fungus -- a common mold -- a recent study by a medical student from Manchester University in the United Kingdom reported. The student's research seeks to highlight the dangers of mold, especially the symptoms, and offers doctors ways to improve their diagnosis of mold exposure and treatments for patients with CF. Mold can enter a home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning units and generally grows in places with plenty of moisture, such as basements, leaking roofs, pipes, or windows. These tiny fungi thrive at normal indoor living temperatures which can range anywhere from around 40 degrees F to 100 degrees F. Researchers Jo Armstead analyzed the data ...

For years, men have preferred (at least in public) to keep their personal grooming habits simple, but new industry figures show that that might finally be changing. Is skin care for men the next big thing? Market stats say yes. In 2012, sales for men's grooming products reached $3 billion, and that number is expected to grow to $6.1 billion in 2017. 2013 actually marked the first time in recorded history when men spent more on male-specific personal care items than on shaving products, and the change isn't lost on retailers. Executives at Evonik US believe that the market is finally ready for products aimed at men's grooming, and they conducted a large consumer survey to back up that claim. The survey revealed that men are starting to understand the advantages of seeking out differen...

The image of the stereotypical nerd wearing a pocket protector and glasses is hard to let go of. New studies suggest that, in fact, there might be some correlation between how long someone studies, and how likely they are to need glasses for nearsightedness.The study, published in the journal Ophthalmology, was conducted by researchers at University Medical Center Mainz in Germany, and a total of 5,000 German residents were tested. Their findings suggested that educational level was a more important predictor of myopia, also known as nearsightedness, than genetics. "About 50 years ago myopia was thought to be almost completely determined by genetics," said Alireza Mirshahi, a researcher and ophthalmologist at the University. "We see that genetic factors do play a role, but the role of e...

As the problem of increasing street violence becomes more prevalent in large cities around the world, more people have begun working together to brainstorm affordable ways of preventing violence. Whether it's New York City, or Chicago, or notoriously dangerous cities in England and Northern Ireland, residents have been coming together to find out what causes violence, and what can be done to keep it from claiming more innocent lives. There's no need to discuss the methods of violence, or whether gun control laws should be changed, or if politicians deserve to be blamed for what has happened. All of those topics have been covered ad nauseam in a plethora of news sources, and will probably continue to be discussed indefinitely. Instead, it's time to focus on what individual citizens and n...

Believe it or not, many professional and Olympic athletes have something in common completely unrelated to their physical capabilities: a huge number of ultra-successful athletes all have ADHD. Having made this correlation, experts are now wondering, is there something about ADHD that allows an athlete to perform better? Or is this just an interesting coincidence? It seems very likely that ADHD and athleticism are found together not because they are directly related, but because the restlessness commonly found in people with ADHD isoften ameliorated by engaging in activities which require close attention to a multitude of details -- activities like sports, which are fast-paced and require extreme bouts of concentration on one detail for only seconds at a time before another detail must ...

It's getting to be the height of summer, and that means that people are much more likely to get out on the road to ride their motorcycles. If you're one of them, you should know that safety is one of the biggest concerns. For other motorists, looking twice before making turns and navigating the roads carefully is important, but here are some things to keep in mind while you're out riding your motorcycle, courtesy of The Poughkeepsie Journal. Carol Bullard, registered nurse and motorcycle enthusiast, offers a few tips to optimize safety while riding a motorcycle:Wearing a helmet and protective clothing can protect your body in the event of an accident. Taking special precautions in response to weather conditions can is also essential to motorcycle safety. There is rain gear available, and i...