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.”

The thing about Gen X being in our 40s and 50s now is that we were never supposed to get "old." Like‚ we're the cool‚ aloof grunge generation of young tech geniuses. Most of the giants that everyone uses every day—Google‚ Amazon‚ YouTube—came from Gen X. Our generation is both "Friends" and "The Office." We are‚ like‚ relevant‚ dammit.And also‚ our backs hurt‚ we need reading glasses‚ our kids are in college and how in the name of Jennifer Aniston's skincare regimen did we get here? It's weird to reach the stage when there's no doubt that you aren't young anymore. Not that Gen X is old—50 is the new 30‚ you know—but we're definitely not young. And it seems like every day there's something new that comes along to shove that fact right in our faces. When did hair start growing out of that spot? Why do I suddenly hate driving at night? Why is this restaurant so loud? Does that skin on my arm look…crepey? As they so often do‚ Penn and Kim Holderness from The Holderness Family have captured the Gen X existential crisis in a video that has us both nodding a long and laughing out loud. Salt-n-Pepa in the waiting room at the doctor's office? Uh‚ no. That's a line we are not ready to cross yet. Nirvana being played on the Classic Rock station? Nope‚ not prepared for that‚ either. Watch: Hoo boy‚ the denial is real‚ isn't it? We grew up on "Choose Your Own Adventure" books‚ for goodness sake‚ and it's starting to feel like we made a wrong choice a chapter or two back and suddenly landed our entire generation in a time warp. This isn't real‚ is it? Thirty years ago was the 1970s. That's just a Gen X fact. So what if we've lived long enough for our high school fashions to go out of style and then back into style and then back out of style again? Seriously‚ though‚ we can either lament our age and stage in life or we can laugh about it‚ and people are grateful to the Holdernesses for assisting with the latter. Gen X fans are also thrilled to see their own experiences being validated‚ because at this point‚ we've all had that moment in the grocery store or the waiting room when one of our jams came on and we immediately went into a panic. "They were playing The Cure in the grocery store and I almost started crying‚" wrote one commenter. "I mean‚ how 'alternative' can you be if you're being played in Krogers? You guys are great! Thanks for making us laugh.""I couldn’t believe it when I heard Bohemian Rhapsody being played in Walmart‚" shared another. "That was edgy in my day.""I know!!! Bon Jovi at the grocery store!!! That was my clue in!!" added another."Long live Gen Xers! We have to be strong!! We can get through this together!! #NKOTBmeetsAARP" wrote on commenter.You can find more from the Holderness Family on their Facebook page‚ their podcast and their website‚ theholdernessfamily.com.

When it comes to getting a job‚ we live in frustrating times. On one hand‚ unemployment is near historic lows‚ so one would think that it’s easier to get a job. However‚ according to a study on LinkedIn‚ there is now an average of 1 job open to every 2 applicants. Whereas a year ago there was a job for every person looking.To make things even more frustrating‚ the time it takes to hire a new employee is the longest in history‚ 44 days. The big reason is that potential employees are now subject to a longer interview process where they may speak with multiple people before the final decision.So‚ if you’re looking for a job and feel frustrated‚ you are not alone.A lot of people are finding opportunities through LinkedIn. Deep Sardar has a great blog on how to use the platform to find a new gig and he covers everything from taking a decent headshot to writing a killer “About” section.But one thing Sardar doesn’t cover is how to deal with some of LinkedIn's cringe-worthy aspects‚ from the constant bragging to the self-important diatribes disguised as “thought leadership” to the surprising amount of TMI you’ll see on the platform.Good Work created a funny video where an “investigative reporter” talks to people about why LinkedIn is “so weird.” In the video‚ the reporter recounts some of the most uncomfortable LinkedIn posts you’ve ever seen and talks to experts about why every post sounds like “Tony Robbins notes app.”If you’ve been on the job hunt and could use a good laugh‚ check this out.Why is LinkedIn so weird?

A local reporter at Hometown Life shared a unique and heartfelt story on March 16 about a mother struggling to find shoes that fit her 14-year-old son. The story resonated with parents everywhere; now‚ her son is getting the help he desperately needs. It's a wonderful example of people helping a family that thought they had nowhere to turn.When Eric Kilburn Jr. was born‚ his mother‚ Rebecca’s OBGYN‚ told her that he had the “biggest feet I’ve ever seen in my life. Do not go out and buy baby shoes because they’re not gonna fit‚’” Rebecca told Today.com. Fourteen years later‚ it’s almost impossible to find shoes that fit the 6’10” freshman—he needs a size 23. None — (@) The teen's height doesn't stem from a gland issue; he comes from a family of tall people. Both his parents are over 6 feet tall.Eric plays football for Goodrich High School in Goodrich‚ Michigan‚ but doesn’t wear cleats‚ which led to a sprained ankle. He also suffers from ingrown toenails that are so severe he’s had two nails on his biggest toes permanently removed.Last year‚ the family was lucky enough to stumble upon five pairs of size 21 shoes at a Nike outlet store. It was discovered they were made especially for Tacko Fall‚ the NBA player with some of the most enormous feet in the game. To put things in perspective‚ Shaquille O’Neal wears a size 22.However‚ Eric soon grew out of those as well. The family was left with one more option: have orthopedic shoes made for Eric at the cost of $1‚500 with no guarantee he won’t quickly grow out of those as well.After his mother’s heartfelt plea to Hometown Life‚ the family got much-needed help from multiple companies‚ including Under Armour and PUMA‚ who are sending representatives to Michigan to measure his feet for custom shoes.CAT has reached out to make him a custom pair of boots. Eric hasn't had any boots to wear for the past five Michigan winters. None — (@) Kara Pattison started a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the family to help them purchase custom shoes for “the rest of the time Eric has these feet.” It has raised nearly $20‚000 for the family in just over a week.“The success of this fundraiser is well beyond what was ever expected‚” Pattison wrote on the site on March 18. “The Kilburns plan to open a bank account dedicated to Eric's future footwear and some specialized sports equipment. He can use this to get a helmet that fits for football along with pads. They will also look into a football and track jersey for him.”The sense of relief felt by Rebecca‚ Eric and the rest of the Kilburn family must be incredible. It has to be frustrating to be unable to provide your child with something as basic as footwear.“It’s been overwhelming‚” Rebecca told Hometown Life. “I have been this puddle of emotions‚ all of them good…It’s the coolest thing to be able to say we did it! He has shoes! I am not usually a crier‚ but I have been in a constant state of happy tears…We are so grateful.”This article originally appeared on 03.23.23

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents‚ the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted‚ is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong‚ but how to make things right again. Single dad Patrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son‚ Lincoln‚ getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology‚ Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution. The thought process behind his decision‚ which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video‚ is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.“I got an email a few days ago from my 9-year-old son's teacher that he had done a ‘prank’ to a fellow classmate and it ended up embarrassing the classmate and hurt his feelings‚” the video begins.At this point‚ Forseth doesn’t split hairs. “I don't care who you are‚ that's bullying‚” he said. “If you do something to somebody that you know has the potential end result of them being embarrassed in front of a class or hurt—you’re bullying.”So‚ Forseth and Lincoln sat down for a long talk (a talk‚ not a lecture) about appropriate punishment and how it would have felt to be on the receiving end of such a prank.From there‚ Forseth told his son that he would decide how to make things right‚ making it a masterclass in taking true accountability.“I demanded nothing out of him. I demanded no apology‚ I demanded no apology to the teacher‚” he continued‚ adding‚ “I told him that we have the opportunity to go back and make things right. We can't take things back‚ but we can try to correct things and look for forgiveness.” @thehalfdeaddad Replying to @sunshinyday1227 And then it’s my kid 🤦‍♂️😡 #endbullyingnow #talktoyourkidsmore #dadlifebestlife #singledadsover40 #teachyourchildren #ReadySetLift ♬ Get You The Moon - Kina So what did Lincoln do? He went back to his school and actually talked to the other boy he pranked. After learning that they shared a love of Pokémon‚ he then went home to retrieve two of his favorite Pokémon cards as a peace offering‚ complete with a freshly cleaned case.Lincoln would end up sharing with his dad that the other boy was so moved by the gesture that he would end up hugging him. “I just want to encourage all parents to talk to your kids‚” Forseth concluded. “Let's try to avoid just the swat on the butt [and] send them to their room. Doesn't teach them anything.”In Forseth’s opinion‚ kids get far more insight by figuring out how to resolve a problem themselves. “That's what they're actually going to face in the real world once they move out of our nests.”He certainly has a point. A slap on the wrist followed by being marched down somewhere to say‚ “I’m sorry‚” only further humiliates kids most of the time. With this gentler approach‚ kids are taught the intrinsic value of making amends after wrongdoing‚ not to mention the power of their own autonomy. Imagine that—blips in judgment can end up being major character-building moments. Kudos to this dad and his very smart parenting strategy.This article originally appeared on 3.24.23

The world would be a much better place if humans weren’t so … human. We all fall short of perfection. Common sense is‚ sadly‚ not too common. And there’s one guy out there who always manages to screw things up when things start getting good.Call it Murphy’s law. Call it the great “reason we can’t have nice things.” Call it entropy. It feels like a whole lot of pain could be avoided if we all had just a little bit more sense.But what if there was one rule that we all agreed to follow to make everyone’s life better? What would this magical rule be?A Reddit user who goes by the name P4insplatter came to this realization and asked the AskReddit subforum‚ “What simple rule would fix the world if everyone actually followed it?” They received dozens of simple rules that if everyone got behind would make the world drastically better.It’s no shock that most of them felt like a variation of the Golden Rule. It’s funny that a lot of folks believe the world would seriously improve if we could just abide by a simple saying that we all learned in kindergarten.Also known as the “ethics of reciprocity‚” the Golden Rule is so innate to humans that versions of it have been found in religions and cultures throughout the world.Here are 17 of the best responses to P4insplatter’s simple‚ but world-altering question.1. Let go“Let go or be dragged” an old zen proverb I heard at a meditation class. Really changed the way I let myself worry about things." — civagigi2. Simple‚ but true"Don't be a dick." — WuTangLAN933. The Golden Rule"Treat others how you want to be treated." — AlbanyGuy19734. It starts with you"I read somewhere that if you want to change the world‚ you have to change the community‚ to change the community change your relationships‚ and to change your relationships change yourself." — cagibaxii5. Simple Earth math"Don't use more resources than what the Earth is capable of renewing." — DaethSpiral3216. Bill and Ted's rule"Be excellent to each other." — pnotar7. The law of Lebowski“Fuck it‚ Dude. Let's go bowling." — Bonhomme7h8. Signal"Use your turn signal(s) properly." — futilelord9. The principle of non-agression"Simple‚ the non-aggression principle. You don't do‚ initiate or threat any harm unto others‚ unless acting in true self defense." — ufrag10. It works for everything"Leave it better than you found it." — Narcoid11. Generosity and humility"Be generous and humble. Being generous and kind encourages us to perceive others in a more positive light and fosters a sense of community. Humility teaches you to improve and make a positive impact on the world." — SuvenPan12. STFU"If you are not educated on the subject‚ sit down and stfu. Let the experts with years of education and experience talk." — Ch3m1cal42013. Fairness first"Everyone gets a chance at one [thing] before anyone gets seconds." — ehsteve2314. Permanent daylight"Obviously making daylight savings permanent." — ObviousINstruction1815. Two ears‚ one mouth"Listen more‚ talk less." — TryToHelpPeople16. Turn off the lights"All empty buildings should not have any lights/ac/heating on at night or after business hours depending on the nature of the work. their ac/heating and lights if necessary should only be turned on before the start of the day. This will not only help with energy costs but also with light pollution." — hadrainsgate17. Don't tread on anyone"You cannot do ANYTHING without consent." — DeepCompoteThis article originally appeared on 03.17.22

A breastfeeding mother's experience at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo is touching people's hearts—but not without a fair amount of controversy.Gemma Copeland shared her story on Facebook‚ which was then picked up by the Facebook page Boobie Babies. Photos show the mom breastfeeding her baby next to the window of the zoo's orangutan habitat‚ with a female orangutan sitting close to the glass‚ gazing at them. "Today I got feeding support from the most unlikely of places‚ the most surreal moment of my life that had me in tears‚" Copeland wrote."I visited Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna whilst on a mini-break with my partner and son. We nipped in to see the orangutans at the end of our day who were happily playing in the enclosure‚ so I went to the window for a closer look and sat down by the window so my lb could see the orangutan who was roughly 5/6ft away. She then got up‚ carried a piece of cloth to the window and sat down with me. She looked directly into my eyes then placed her hand up as if to touch my son. I was in awe of this beautiful creature already.""My son wanted feeding and as it was quiet I fed him whilst I sat there. The way the orangutan reacted took my breath away she kept looking at me‚ then my son then back again‚" she continued. "She sat with me for approximately half an hour‚ kept stroking the glass and lay down next to me as if to support and protect me.I had to share this because my mind was blown. We may be a species apart but breastfeeding connected us today in a once in a lifetime moment that will stay with me forever. I'm also incredibly lucky that my partner caught all of this on video 💕"The Facebook page added a story about a gorilla being taught to breastfeed by women from La Leche League‚ an organization dedicated to supporting breastfeeders:"Did you know that women from La Leche League once taught a mother gorilla to breastfeed? The Mamma gorilla had been born and raised in captivity and didn't know what to do with her firstborn‚ and her baby sadly died. When she next became pregnant‚ breastfeeding women volunteered to sit beside the gorilla's enclosure and breastfeed their babies‚ showing the gorilla what to do. When the gorilla gave birth‚ a volunteer came over and breastfed her baby‚ showing Mamma gorilla what to do‚ step by step. Mamma gorilla watched‚ and then copied‚ and went on to successfully feed her baby "The story has been shared more than 37‚000 times‚ with many commenters stating how beautiful and moving it was. Others‚ while appreciating the beauty of the animal encounter‚ expressed sadness at seeing such a creature in captivity. As with practically every post about animals in zoos‚ debate broke out over whether or not zoos are helpful or harmful to the animals they house.And like most debates‚ people's opinions fall along a broad spectrum. Some feel that zoos are the best way for people to learn about animals first-hand‚ which leads them to care more about protecting them in the wild. Some acknowledge that captivity isn't ideal‚ but that many animals die individually or go extinct as species without the work they do. Some feel that it's always wrong to keep an animal in captivity‚ no matter what. Even animal experts don't agree on this front.And not all zoos are created equal. Many zoos have moved more toward a rehabilitation and conservation model‚ and there's no question that many animals who have been raised in captivity would not survive if they were suddenly released into the wild. There's also the issue of whether trying to limit natural breeding in captivity falls under the ethical treatment of animals‚ as breeding is a natural animal instinct. And what about the animals that have gone extinct in the wild and can only be found in zoos? There are a million questions with a million unclear answers when it comes to zoos.However there is one thing most can agree on. Whether or not you think zoos are helpful or harmful‚ necessary or not‚ they largely exist today because of human activity mucking with nature. The same nature that compels this creature to connect with a human mother‚ despite her unnatural surroundings. The same nature that humans are destroying to get palm oil for our cookies and soaps‚ leading orangutans to the brink of extinction. The same nature that we are all responsible for protecting.Whether we find this story sweet or sad or something in between‚ the reality for orangutans in the wild is worth our attention. Visit www.theorangutanproject.org/ to learn more about how to help.This article originally appeared on 10.04.22

Trigger warning for discussion of sexual assault and violence.A recent video by Just Not Sports took two prominent female sportswriters and had regular guys* read the awful abuse they receive online aloud.Sportswriters Sarah Spain and Julie DiCaro sat by as men read some of the most vile tweets they receive on a daily basis. See how long you can last watching it.*(Note: The men reading them did not write these comments; they're just being helpful volunteers to prove a point.)It starts out kind of jokey but eventually devolves into messages like this:These types of messages come in response to one thing: The women were doing their jobs.Those wishes that DiCaro would die by hockey stick and get raped? Those were the result of her simply reporting on the National Hockey League's most disturbing ordeal: the Patrick Kane rape case‚ in which one of the league's top players was accused of rape.DiCaro wasn't writing opinion pieces. She was simply reporting things like what the police said‚ statements from lawyers‚ and just general everyday work reporters do. In response‚ she received a deluge of death threats. Her male colleagues didn't receive nearly the same amount of abuse.It got to the point where she and her employer thought it best to stay home for a day or two for her own physical safety.The men in the video seemed absolutely shocked that real live human beings would attack someone simply for doing their jobs.Most found themselves speechless or‚ at very least‚ struggling to read the words being presented.Think this is all just anecdotal? There's evidence to the contrary.The Guardian did a study to find out how bad this problem really is.They did a study of over 70 million comments that have been posted on their site since 2006. They counted how many comments that violated their comment policy were blocked.The stats were staggering.From their comprehensive and disturbing article:"Although the majority of our regular opinion writers are white men‚ we found that those who experienced the highest levels of abuse and dismissive trolling were not. The 10 regular writers who got the most abuse were eight women (four white and four non-white) and two black men. Two of the women and one of the men were gay. And of the eight women in the 'top 10'‚ one was Muslim and one Jewish.And the 10 regular writers who got the least abuse? All men."So what can people do about this kind of harassment once they know it exists?To start? Share things that make people aware it's happening. Listen to the Just Not Sports podcast where they talk about it.If you know someone who talks like this to anyone on the internet‚ CALL THEM OUT. Publicly‚ privately — just let them know it's not OK to talk to anyone like this.Don't stop talking about it. Every day‚ the harassment continues. Don't let it linger without attention.There are no easy answers. But the more people who know this behavior exists‚ the more people there will be to tell others it's not OK to talk to anyone like that.Watch the whole video below:.This article originally appeared on 04.27.16

Something he couldn't shake off. The post Ryuichi Sakamoto’s greatest regret about David Bowie first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

A wonderfully innovative sound. The post How Sparklehorse helped to spawn bedroom pop first appeared on Far Out Magazine.