I am in my late 30s and have a good relationship with my parents. We speak on the phone weekly. Last Sunday, my mother informed me that they gave my sister a chunk of money to help with a down payment on a house. She told me I wouldn’t receive a matching sum because my husband and I already own a house and his parents gave us a generous gift when we were buying it. My parents aren’t wealthy, so I understand their decision. Still, it stings! I think my parents are making assumptions about my financial position. I also believe their choice to give money to my younger sister is a declaration of greater love for her. Should I bring this up again? SARAH You should definitely bring it up if this gift is going to interfere with your relationship with your parents or your sister. (I can’t tell if this is a passing sting or one that may lead to lasting resentment.) Before you do, though, consider a few points to make the conversation more productive. Our parents’ money is theirs. Whether … [Read more...]

Dubai (CNN) Rising temperatures and extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change are making farming conditions increasingly challenging and disrupting food distribution. But scientists in some of the world's driest places are coming up with solutions to boost local food production by introducing plants that thrive with less-fertile soil and seawater. In the Dubai desert, farmers must contend with intense heat, limited freshwater and sandy soil. Here, the International Center of Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) is transplanting and growing salt-loving superfoods in an effort to expand food diversity in the region. "Freshwater is becoming more and more scarce," explains Dionysia Angeliki Lyra, agronomist at the ICBA. "We have to focus on how we can utilize low-quality, saline water resources for food production." Growing superfoods in the desert Desert farming has existed for thousands of years , but not all desert plants provide the … [Read more...]

Dubai (CNN) Mineralizing rivers, desalinating oceans, drilling into the ground. There are many different ways to access drinking water in places where it's in short supply. But with overpopulation, climate change and increasing water scarcity, innovators have been on the lookout for a new solution -- and some are convinced the answer is up in the air. SOURCE Global is one of the many companies around the world extracting water from the air, with the hope of helping water-scarce communities. However, its technology has a sustainable twist. Named Hydropanels, its devices are powered by built-in solar panels. "You're able to harvest water from the air using solar and nothing else, no need for electricity, no need for (a) grid, no need for infrastructure -- it's perfectly self-sufficient," explains Vahid Fotuhi, the company's vice president for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Solar powered Atmospheric water generators (AWGs), like SOURCE's, are … [Read more...]

3 The writer-director Michael Showalter comes full circle with his new movie, "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," about the late televangelist and tabloid figure Tammy Faye Bakker. Known primarily as a comedian and comic writer (he co-created the MTV sketch comedy series "The State" and wrote the classic raunch-com sendup "Wet Hot American Summer"), Showalter has surprisingly serious roots. He grew up in Princeton, N.J., where his mother, Elaine Showalter, was the first woman to chair Princeton University's English department and became a women's studies rock star with such influential publications as "Towards a Feminist Poetics" and "The Female Malady: Women, Madness and English Culture, 1830-1980." After making his feature directing debut in 2005 with "The Baxter," Michael directed "Hello, My Name Is Doris,""The Big Sick" and "The Lovebirds," each of which reflected at least parts of his feminist sensibility. But it's brought to bear even more explicitly in … [Read more...]

NEW YORK - Pearl Sun, who plays Bonnie, contracted covid. Sharon Wheatley, the musical's Diane, rented an RV for the first time in her life and drove her family cross-country. Tony LePage, a standby as several characters, wrote a musical. Q. Smith, who plays Hannah, gave birth. Joel Hatch, in the spirit of his role, the mayor, kept the company in touch via weekly group Zooms. Tales of 18 months of isolation, simple joys and big anxieties spill out of the actors and creative team of "Come From Away" in rivers of anecdotes - a narrative mosaic of what living through this coronavirus pandemic has been like for all of us. But, especially, for the people who earn their keep in the performing arts and found themselves, most of the time, with no living at all. The Tony-winning musical, which opened on Broadway on March 12, 2017, and was forced to shut down three years later, to the day, was like so many other shows - a family. The pandemic broke up the family - but it didn't break it. … [Read more...]

What’s for dinner? This daily question paralyzes some people with fear. But what if a world-renowned kitchen guru guided you through recipes and provided you with pre-measured ingredients? Well, then, you would have Martha Stewart in your kitchen ! Subscribe to Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kits and save $80. That’s a $20 savings on each of your first FOUR boxes! Simply enter this special code at checkout: A20CHRNSHPX4W to redeem this great offer. Martha & Marley Spoon Meal Box Marley Spoon marleyspoon.com Subscribe Now Promo Code: A20CHRNSHPX4W With meal kits from Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon , home cooks like you can learn from the best, and prepare impressive meals every day. Don’t panic!  The easy-to-follow recipes include just six steps. And with detailed instructions and photos, you can learn essential cooking skills to serve your own Martha Stewart-caliber meals. Planning Ahead You know that choosing a recipe at the … [Read more...]