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