Chinese government officials have reportedly discussed a scenario where ByteDance sells TikTok’s United States arm to Elon Musk, should the Supreme Court uphold the law banning the app on January 19th. Bloomberg reports that China would strongly prefer for TikTok to stay under ByteDance’s ownership, but says government officials have considered a sale to Musk as part of a broader plan to work with incoming president Donald Trump’s administration. In that scenario, Musk’s X would acquire TikTok...

A woman (42) is wondering whether she's correct in feeling that she’s been pushed too far by her neurodivergent husband (48), who has extreme dietary restrictions. “My husband is ND and extremely successful in his career, but struggles with day-to-day functioning. He has a lot of dietary restrictions, and over the years, I was happy to work around those--mostly, we now eat homemade salad and baked chicken, in various forms. Unfortunately, this resulted in a situation where I do ALL the cooking,” she writes. Her husband also suffered from long-term COVID, which has added to his dietary restrictions, and he has become allergic to wood dust and the gas stove, so she has to cook his chicken in a tiny toaster oven. In addition, she does the majority of household chores while working as an academic at 2 different schools. She has also recently lost her father, to which she was the primary caretaker. To make things worse, he hasn’t made an effort to get professional help for his problems. “He has pursued no medical solution aside from an inhaler from his PCP. His symptoms are mysterious and variable. He has not seen an allergist or rheumatologist in spite of my pleading,” the woman said. A couple haing a disagreement.via Canva/Photos “This morning, finally, I realized that perhaps I needed to remove myself from this whole emotional food-centered loop and told my husband he can cook and shop for himself, and I will cook and shop for myself and the dogs. He was not happy about this at all,” she concluded her post on the AITA Reddit subforum. She asked the subforum if she was doing the right thing and received tremendous support for a decision that she wasn’t very sure about. The sticking point with many commenters was that the husband has done little to get help for his ailments and still expects his wife to do everything. “Are you saying your husband has decided that he has all of those bizarre allergies (wood dust, gas stove, etc) on his own without meeting with an allergist?” one commenter wrote. “He is putting an insane burden on you and doing nothing to help. I’ll be honest — he’s mean and selfish for expecting you to sacrifice your quality of life for all of his whatnot. I would for sure stop cooking for him. I would cook my own food however I want to. I would tell him if he doesn’t go to multiple doctors to assess all this, then the marriage is over.” Another commenter thought that she was doing the right thing. “Stop. Just stop the madness. In addition to cooking your own meals, use the gas stove until he sees a medical provider and assign him some chores. Is he going to like it? Probably not. But listen to yourself: you are exhausted, traumatized, lost, and angry. If anyone needs self-care, it’s you,” another commenter wrote.“That’s not a husband, that’s a leech, and you’re a servant. I hope you get yourself out of this. Life can be hard, but it shouldn’t be this miserable,” a commenter wrote. A man blowing his nose.via Canva/Photos Another interesting topic discussed in the thread is seldom discussed: long-term COVID is associated with developing new allergies. So, that could be a reason why he’s developed more allergies recently. However, that doesn’t free him from the responsibility of seeing a doctor to get help for his numerous ailments. Finally, the woman’s post and the helpful comments helped her make peace with her decision to stop cooking for her husband. It’s a great example of how random people on the internet can be a big help. Thank you. “I didn’t expect so many people to have insights into what felt like the impossible frustrations of this situation,” she wrote. “It feels much less impossible when other people share that their own families are experiencing similar things in different ways.”

Listen, the world today is far from perfect, but staying objective by focusing on the real marks of progress that have been made can keep those feelings of despair and powerlessness at bay, which don’t always do much to help us be the change we wish to see and all that.Perhaps this is where the wisdom of growing older comes in. Recently, older adults weighed in on the different ways the world now is better than the one they grew up in, and the responses reveal not just the sweeping advances in technology and social justice, but incredible advancements that kind of go unsung for the most part. Check out some of the most eye-opening answers below:Everyday Life By and large, there are more options, opportunities and outlets than ever before. Photo credit: Canva"Food options for both home cooking and restaurants are much better and more varied.""If you have niche hobbies and interests, you can actually engage in those things nowadays. Whether it be esoteric books, music, or whatever else, you don't need to travel to the ends of the earth to pursue such things. In the '70s and '80s? Good luck with that.""It's easier to be single. There's less pressure to be paired and less public shame. Romantic relationships should enhance our lives, not be a requirement to achieve some cultural version of success. I love how it is now! It's very, very good.""Being a nerd or geek nowadays won't get you ostracized."Health Not just medical advancements, but also an increase of awareness regarding mental health subjects. And look, while there's plenty wrong with the healthcare system, there are more free and low cost options with the introduction of resources like Medi-cal, which one person noted. Photo credit: Canva"Improved medicine. My mom lived for decades with conditions that her mom would have died from. Many things that were death sentences before are now chronic conditions.""The openness in which we discuss mental health. While there are improvements still to be made, I think it's great (especially for our youth) that we've created a forum where people can ask for help.""There was no Medicare or Medicaid for anyone when I was growing up. Now, I'm on both.""Thanks to modern science and medicine, I have an implant in my brain that allows me to hear after 55 years of being profoundly hard of hearing, even with the most powerful hearing aids. It's awesome, and I wouldn't go back in time for anything."Social JusticeThis is a powerful reminder of why need to keep fighting for equality. Photo credit: Canva"Women have less trouble getting jobs that pay pretty well. It used to be that employers could actually advertise (in the newspaper) whether they're looking for a man or a woman, what age they want, and they could even mention they're looking for someone attractive to hire. There is also less gender stereotyping and harassment. We still have a long way to go, but it used to be so much worse than it is now!""I grew up in Georgia and Tennessee in the '50s and '60s, so you know where this is going. I remember when watching Black people on TV and holding hands with a white person wasn't allowed. I remember how, in 1966, our high school had 1,200 students, and only three were Black. I left the US in the '80s, but I love coming back and seeing mixed-race couples being the norm. I also love seeing men in buns and tattoos. How far we've come.""I like being able to buy property, get credit, keep my own name, keep teaching even if I'm unmarried and pregnant, get an abortion if I need one (where I live, anyway), and divorce my husband if I want to." "I don't have to go to jail just for being a pothead anymore.""My bullies figured out I was gay before I even knew what it meant. They made the next eight years miserable for me. When I watched the news with my family, I saw segments about gay rights and tried to make it look like I wasn't interested, but I was filing the information away. When the series Soap came out, and Billy Crystal played a gay character, I was amazed. I continued seeing more gay characters show up, and I knew things were changing. I feel like I've witnessed an incredible transformation of American culture. I know there are plenty of more things that need to change, and we lurch backward at times, but the last 50 years have been amazing to me."EnvironmentalAs we are currently dealing with yet another crises related to climate change with the Los Angeles fires, it's worth noting that improvements were made possible through collective action, and can be made again. Photo credit: Canva"Oh god, the smog and pollution were really bad in the early '70s. I don't know how to describe to you what it was like to wake up every day in the summer and just see fog and haze. Everything was dirty. During one springtime, acid rain could damage your car's paint. It was gross. I don't have much good to say about Nixon, but the EPA and the Clean Air Act really made a difference in the quality of life for most Americans."TechnologyThe next time you have a meltdown over your bluetooth not syncing properly, give these a read. Photo credit: Canva"Cars are safer, quieter, more easily operable, and longer-lived now. As a kid, getting any car to 100,000 miles was a cause for celebration. Now, that's the nominal lifespan of any car. Fuel mileage is amazingly better, plus there's widespread hybrid and EV development — things that were science fiction when I was a kid.""Navigation software on the phone and in the car. I rarely get lost anymore or have to rely on bad directions.""I can find out how to fix almost anything on YouTube. After years of fixing my stuff through YouTube, I can now fix most things around the house without having to call anyone or incur the cost of a professional. And it's so much more convenient. Oh, there's a leak in the pipe? Let me run to the shed, get my PVC-fixing stuff, and get everything settled in a couple of hours. So many things that seemed complicated to fix, I learned to do thanks to some videos and a few essential tools.""Here's one that's a little less obvious: LED light bulbs. The LED light bulb in my front porch light has been going strong since 2013. Also, my parents are in their 80s, so it's nice for them. I replaced every bulb in their house with LED, because changing a bulb in a ceiling fixture when you're 80 is not fun.""I'm never bored anymore. Growing up, I was bored so often it made me angry. But these days, I have endless books, games, good TV, and hobbies to turn to. Some of that is due to being an adult with money, but streaming, eBooks, and digital games are also a huge part." "How easy it is to learn new things. There is so much great content online covering everything — from investing to theoretical physics to medieval boat building (if you're into that). None of it would even be approachable for 'regular' folks just a couple decades ago.""The ease of communication at a very low cost. Back in my youth, long-distance phone calls weren't cheap, so we didn't communicate long distances much. Oh, and being able to get reasonably fresh fish in a non-costal city today is quite a plus."And there you have it. Just a little respite against the doom scrolling to bolster our spirits and believe that change is indeed possible.

There's a debate on the difference in intelligence between cats and dogs that have likely been going on since the two animals were domesticated. Cats aren't particularly known for doing tricks or even consistently responding to their name for that matter. But dogs on the other hand are often eager to please their owners, seemingly showing off their knowledge of a wider range of vocabulary. Studies have shown that dogs and cats both possess similar levels of intelligence but people still mistakenly think cats are smarter. While dogs outwardly show their intellect by following commands and doing tricks, they're often getting into mischief. They also seem to forget consequences quickly resulting in them repeating the same behaviors. People tend to see cats as more calculating creatures who know exactly what they're doing, oftentimes causing people to believe they do things out of spite. They may not respond every time you call their name but you know, and they know that they in fact do know their name. Their thinking just appears to be more complex devoid of the need to please their humans, though these things are all just assumptions made by cat owners. Cat Omg GIF Giphy But according to studies, while cats and dogs share the same level of intelligence, their smarts show up in different ways. Cats are problem-solvers and will keep trying to solve a puzzle for a much longer period of time than dogs, and they're often quicker at figuring things out like how to open latched food containers and kitchen cabinets, according to Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary. Cats also have a more developed hippocampus which helps them remember things for longer periods of time while dogs have more neurons. Dogs also have a larger brain due to their larger heads which allows for more self-control–that could explain why cats knock things off counters. Cats Reaction GIF by Hill's Pet Nutrition EMEA Giphy Cat owners may also incorrectly think cats are smarter than dogs because cats are more self-sufficient while dogs depend heavily on humans for their survival. In a study where scientists attempt to compare cats with dogs, it was quickly proven that cats simply do what they want when they want, and for lack of understanding. The study was trying to find out if both animals have the same level of body awareness. Dogs sat attentively waiting for commands while cats had to be coaxed with treats, toys and pspspst, only for some of the cats to be eliminated for walking away and refusing to participate. There's not a cat owner in the world that wouldn't expect that response from a feline being told what to do. Dog Reaction GIF by TikiIndia Giphy None of the studies prove cats are smarter than dogs or vise versa, though. The studies and articles that do comparisons of the two pets consistently show that the animals have similar intelligence levels but they have strengths in different areas. Having both a cat and a dog for a pet may make for complimentary companionship between the two animals. But given that they both have opposite strengths, they may combine forces to get into higher level hijinks. Instead of trying to figure out which animal is smarter, we can appreciate each for what they add to the lives of humans. But in full transparency, when it comes to comforting humans, dogs blow cats out of the water on their level of emotional intelligence, so keep that in mind when Scout knocks over the trashcan for the fifth time this week.

Is there any game show that allows contestants to royally embarrass themselves on national TV quite like “Wheel of Fortune”? There’s always someone going viral for taking a big swing and missing on a phrase that seemed pretty apparent to the casual viewer. And when you take a big loss on a “Wheel of Fortune'' word puzzle, there are a lot of folks shaking their heads at home. More than 8 million people watch the game show every night.The latest victim of the wheel is Gishma Tabari from Encino, California, whose fantasy-inspired whiff of a common phrase earned her a lot of groans and some support from those who thought her imagination was inspiring. The 3-word puzzle read: “TH _ _ RITI _ S _ GR _ E,” and Tabari offered the answer, “The British Ogre.” The guess surprised host Pat Sajak, who responded, "Uh, no.” Tabari must have missed that there was a space between the R and the E in the puzzle, so ogre would have had to be spelled with 2 Rs.She also probably wasn’t aware that England isn’t a place known for its ogres.The correct answer was: “The Critics Agree.”The British Ogre.Umm?#WheelOfFortune #TheBritishOgre pic.twitter.com/VnYcl0p7nE— Dr. Rick (@Rick_LifeCoach) December 13, 2023 The answer inspired a lot of activity on X, where people couldn’t believe someone could come up with such a fanciful answer to a puzzle with such a straightforward solution.This woman just guessed this puzzle as The British Ogre ??? dying laughing ? so many British Ogres in show biz #WheelofFortune pic.twitter.com/2ooImWepDn— CoL* (@littleruk) December 13, 2023 "Oi, you best be off my swamp, mate, before I get properly cheesed off!" -The British Ogre #wheeloffortune— Emily (@iamem89) December 13, 2023 What? You’ve never heard of the British Ogre? #wheeloffortune— Emily (@iamem89) December 13, 2023 The British Ogre???? #wheeloffortune— cierra bell (@cierrabellz) December 13, 2023 First the British Ogre than a P?! This show never fails to LOL with contestants #wheeloffortune— Jennifer (@capzie) December 13, 2023 This girl guessed “The British Ogre” on wheel of fortune and the second hand embarrassment was overwhelming. She wouldn’t even look at the camera for a sec?? I feel bad but man that shit was funny— Thumser (@JeffreyThumser) December 13, 2023 Michael created a lovely Photoshop image of what could be the British Ogre.#WheelofFortune https://t.co/uNaDdAttl2 pic.twitter.com/sXJgeOfQPL— Michael Nge (@michaelnge283) December 13, 2023 Not everyone had a problem with the guess.OK, the puzzle was clearly THE CRITICS AGREE but to be honest I prefer THE BRITISH OGRE because the puzzles could use some more wacky originality sometimes.#WheelOfFortune— Pasha Paterson (@zer0bandwidth) December 13, 2023 The British Ogre sounds like a cool band name. #WheelofFortune— ᴊᴇʀᴇᴍʏ ᴊᴀᴍᴍ (@NaskarrKid) December 13, 2023 The incorrect guess is an opportunity for the world to learn that ogres aren’t a significant part of English folklore. Sure, there are characters in English myths and legends that have ogre-like qualities, such as Grendel from "Beowulf," the monstrous creature that terrorizes the mead hall of King Hrothgar. There’s also the Boggart, a mischievous spirit much like a hobgoblin and trolls, which appear in some English tales although they originate in Scandinavia.If you’re looking for ogres in Europe, France is the best place to go.The word ogre is of French descent and comes from the name of the Etruscan god of the underworld, Orcus. Orcus is a large, ugly, bearded giant who enjoys consuming human flesh. Ogres are primarily known for eating children, which they believe will give them eternal life.As for “Wheel of Fortune,” the show will undergo significant changes over the next few years. The show’s host, Pat Sajak, 76, has announced that he is stepping down from the show at the end of the 2024 season after hosting it for 41 years. In September 2024, radio host and “American Idol” emcee Ryan Seacrest will take over the hosting spot.Seacrest says that changes to the show will be minimal once he takes over.“With this game show, it’s such a success and has been for generations,” Seacrest said in a new interview with People. “You don’t mess with it, just don’t mess with it. Just get out of the way, say ‘good evening,’ and let’s play.”This article originally appeared last year.

A seriously impressive piece of technology grabbed a lot of attention at this year's CES trade show convention in Las Vegas, Genesis Systems’ WaterCube. It’s a home and office appliance that’s about the size of an A/C unit and can produce up to 100 gallons of water daily from thin air. That’s the amount of water used by a typical family of 4.The amount of water it can produce depends on the humidity levels, but Genesis Systems says it can even create water in dry environments. Much like solar panels provide energy independence, this does the same for water."Our first mission is to sustainably solve global water scarcity," said David Stuckenberg, who founded Genesis with his wife, Shannon, told Techxplore. "Once you have this plugged into your house...you can turn yourself off (from) the city water.""One of the challenges that we're facing, in terms of making humanity sustainable, is the stuff we need for life," he said, according to Techxplore. "Next to air, water is the most important thing." — (@) The WC-100 WaterCube stands more than 3 feet tall, weighs close to 600 pounds and will cost around $20,000 to pre-order. So, even though you may not have a water bill anymore, you will have a pretty expensive monthly payment plan on a WaterCube for a few years.But once it’s paid off, your water is free as long as you own the appliance.Genesis Systems believes that the WaterCube creates “an infinite water source” that is “democratizing the water supply.”This article originally appeared last year.

Meghan Smith is the owner of Melody Note Vintage store in the eternally hip town of Palm Springs, California, and her old-school Gen X advice has really connected with younger people on TikTok. In a video posted in December 2022, she shares the advice she wishes that “somebody told me in my twenties” and it has received more than 13 million views. Smith says that she gave the same advice to her partner's two daughters when they reached their twenties.The video is hashtagged #GenX advice for #GenZ and late #millennials. Sorry older millennials, you’re too old to receive these pearls of wisdom.Here is some of the timeless advice that Smith shares in the video.Perfection is bullshit.You will never be more good-looking than you are today.Put your phone down and enjoy your life.Don't change for anybody.Don't worry about making mistakes.Laugh at yourself.If somebody shows you their true colors, believe them.Travel.You end up dating the people you think you deserve. Usually, you deserve better.Don’t forget to always wear your sunscreen. @melodynotevintage This might only help one person and thats ok. Advice I wish somebody told me in my twenties. #genx advice for #genz and late #millennials #adviceforyour20s #lifeadvice #fyp dont be an asshat in the comments if you are older, its not helpful. She followed up the video with a sequel with even more sage advice.Know who's on your side and who you can ask for help.Don't smoke.Don't spend longer than one year with the wrong person.Find your own style.Don't stress over the small stuff.Good manners don't go out of style.Do the work that it takes to be really good at something.Your happiness is more important than other people's disappointment. @melodynotevintage This might only help one person and thats ok. Advice I wish somebody told me in my twenties part 2 #genx advice for #genz and late #millennials #adviceforyour20s #lifeadvice #fyp This article originally appeared two years ago.

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