The new plug in stove is being called a breakthrough for people’s health and the planet

It could easily end the debate over gas vs. electric stoves.

By

Erik Barnes

Mar 4, 2025

By Erik Barnes

March 4, 2025

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Photo credit: Image via CopperHome – A woman leans over the new plug-in electric stove

A California start-up named Copper is reviving the discourse between those who cook with an electric stove and folks who swear by gas stoves. The company has created a viable electric stove that runs on 120 volts rather than the standard 240 volts, meaning that it can be used with a standard electric outlet rather than needing an electrician to adjust a kitchen’s wiring.

The stove also has a built-in smart battery that can charge up when electricity rates are lower to avoid incurring charges during peak rates. This means that folks like building co-op treasurer Ed Yaker and fellow renters in the building, as reported by the Associated Press, can cook their food affordably while also not worrying about when his building’s aging gas line is shut off for for repairs.

But there are still advocates that strongly prefer gas stoves. Many of them cite that gas stoves offer better temperature control since you can see the flames when cooking. They also argue that it costs less to heat up a gas stove versus an electric one. The fandom is such that some politicians even balked against a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommendation for stricter safety regulation of gas stoves in 2023.

While it’s become a topic in “culture war” discourse, gas stove usage probably isn’t as huge as you’d imagine. According to a 2020 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, only 38% of American homes use a gas stove, with the vast majority of gas stoves being used in California and New Jersey rather than any traditionally red state. This makes sense as more and more new kitchens are built with electricity in mind to power up refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, and other appliances along with kitchen gadgets such as blenders and coffee makers. Also, per Consumer Reports, electric stoves are generally less expensive to purchase than gas stoves by hundreds of dollars.

When it comes to efficiency, electric stoves cook as good if not better than gas stoves. Many professional chefs are switching from gas to electric stoves for this reason. Another reason is that kitchens with electric stoves keep the heat on the food, not the whole kitchen.

“I had a meat thermometer in my chef coat at one old restaurant job, and I looked down one day and noticed that my thermometer read 135F,” executive chef Christopher Galarza told The Guardian regarding his gas stove kitchen. “We were able to drastically reduce the temperature in the kitchen [after switching to electric], which made us all more comfortable. And for me personally, I can tell you that my mental health was better.”

In terms of health of both humans and the planet, there is a growing concern regarding gas stoves. Aside from needing to be mindful of the burners to prevent a fire, gas stoves have been shown to increase the risk of respiratory illness considering that natural gas contains benzene, a known carcinogen, and a study revealing that one in eight childhood asthma cases were caused by gas stove pollution. Methane is also a potent greenhouse gas that impacts the environment, with one American Chemical Society study showing that a year’s worth of methane emissions from all U.S. gas stoves have the same climate impact as the annual CO2 emissions of 500,000 cars.

While there isn’t a call to arms to outright remove gas stoves should you prefer one, there are valid reasons why electric stoves are becoming more common in both regular homes and the restaurant industry. This new standard wall outlet electric stove is just making the concept even more accessible and commonplace.

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Photo credit: Canva – Uncomfortable man gets questions women often face during a job interview.

Ideas, Impact

Men were stunned when asked the same types of career questions women regularly face

Questions many women recognize instantly.

Mark Wales

5/28/2026

“How much do you think your looks helped you get promoted to your position?” Unfortunately for many women, this isn’t a shocking question. Interviews, performance reviews, and typical professional interactions can reveal a double standard and workplace bias.

In a social-experiment-style reel by lifestyle creator @bol.lifestyle, these questions were instead asked of men. Their discomfort and disbelief reveal why the standards women face regarding credibility are impossible to ignore.

An experiment to reveal a double standard

In the video, men are placed in an interview-style setup and asked a series of questions. Hearing these skewed questions for the first time, their expressions shift quickly from curious to confused and uncomfortable.

Host: Have you ever been asked to just smile and look pretty or smile and say nothing in a meeting with a customer?

One man appears somewhat shocked and uncomfortable. He quickly responds, almost dismissive at even being asked the question, “No.”

Host: Do you think that your looks helped you getting promoted or moving up to your current position?

Another man reflects and appears unable to answer the question.

Host: Looking so good. By the way, I do love the shoes. Are these designer or your particular brand that you really like?

A third man awkwardly smiles and vents some air, almost as if the ridiculous question doesn’t feel fitting at all. He doesn’t answer.

Host: Do your hormones sometimes get in the way?

A fourth man responds, “Hormones?” He awkwardly laughs and adds, “I don’t, I don’t know.”

Host: Do you sometimes wonder whether you’ve been chosen for this position because you’re a man?

Man 2 responds definitively, “No, not because I was a man.”

Host: How do you handle in your job being assertive without being perceived as aggressive or bitchy?

Man 1 tilts his head back and reflects on the question. “That’s uh, that’s a question that I find it very hard to relate to.” He then adds, “Because it’s not a situation I’ve been in.”

Many microphones are held in front of a man.
Photo credit Canva

Real questions women face

After this first series of questions, the video presents titles claiming: These were real questions asked to our female leaders throughout their careers.

The host goes on to ask the men how they feel about this particular line of questioning. Their response is predictable.

“It really, really, really feels uncomfortable. And I also feel it in my body,” said Man 3.

“When hearing these things still happen, it makes me also feel that, hey, maybe I am more privileged than I thought I was,” added Man 1.

At the end of the interview, the men seemed a little upset and surprised by the double standard. They collectively hoped for change, and some suggested they themselves were responsible for helping things get better.

A man writes the word “change.”
Photo credit Canva

People advocate for change

People seemed to really respond to the video. With over 6,000 comments, there was a consensus confirming the experience and advocating for change.

“Men, our male privilege is real. How we use it is up to us, and hopefully we use it to protect and improve the experience of the women in our workplace.”

“If you have sons, please prepare them to improve the way the world treats women.”

“The man that felt it in his body… welcome to the life of a woman”

“Perhaps the greatest privilege is never having to notice your own privilege.”

“Oh my God. I have heard ALL of these questions. And more.”

“Well done. We have to show a different way and we can do it with grace! We have to do it different.”

“It’s not what we perceive , it’s what is .”

“THIS experiment should be undertaken in workplaces all over the world…”

Women and men working together.
Photo credit Canva

It’s not about finger-pointing

It can be easy to get lost in finger-pointing. Although at times the comments might feel like a pile-on, the success of the video lies in its simple setup. It takes a familiar experience and shifts the perspective so that people might hear it a little differently.

Certain assumptions or expectations can become so normalized that people, maybe mostly men, stop noticing them altogether. Is it possible for workplace conversations to be more thoughtful, fair, and aware than they have been or, in some circumstances, still are?

The intent of the video seemed less about provoking a fight. It demonstrated that some basic reflection and small shifts of awareness can lead to better experiences for everyone. There’s a familiar proverb that comes to mind: walk a mile in my shoes. These men seemed to gain some real perspective from the opportunity.

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Photo credit: WQAD News 8/YouTube – Lando sings.

Ideas, Voices

Young boy struggles through painful stutter until his singing videos change everything

“One kids courage to show up, speak up, and sing his voice free.”

Mark Wales

5/5/2026

A boy named Lando is gaining attention online after people started sharing and liking the two very different kinds of videos he creates. In one, he candidly speaks with a severe stutter. In the other, he sings smoothly, without the same pauses and repetitions that appear when he talks.

Perhaps it’s the dramatic contrast that has people liking and clicking. For whatever reason, as Lando shares on his website, #stutterfreelando, he’s created an awareness movement around stuttering “born from one kid’s courage to show up, speak up, and sing his voice free.”

The young entertainer is easy to like

Finding a young person navigating his speech difficulties so charismatically and confidently is admirable. He’s not wavering under the spotlight. He’s shining.

His family shares about their experience and the methods they’ve found helpful with his stutter on their website:

“This is a family journey. We’re one of millions of families around the world navigating stuttering to learn what works, what doesn’t, and figuring it out as we go. Some of what we share helps Lando. Some might not. We’re learning that every stutterer is different. No more hiding.”

Facing a severe stutter can be more complicated than practicing with a speech therapist.

“Traditional therapy hasn’t given us the breakthroughs we need. Therapists are trying. We are trying. But we refuse to sit quietly and hope it clicks. So we built this, a movement where our family shares what we’re learning out loud. Real strategies. Real techniques. Lando’s good days and the hard ones. Not a highlight reel. Not a gofund me. Real life.”

It feels good to join a winning team

After watching any of his videos, it’s clear why so many people keep coming back.

In one clip, Lando talks about reaching 50,000 followers on Instagram and an upcoming interview with a local news outlet. The message expressed with gratitude and happiness is simple, but it takes time for him to get there. That process draws people in.

“Congratulations on your followers, add one more”

“Great work buddy!”

“Ah Lando, I’m really enjoying your videos”

“That excitement is so cute! I love how supportive everyone has been!”

“Great job little man keep it going. You inspire a lot of people with the same problem.”

“thankyou for sharing, your super cool.”

Singing allows his words to come out in a continuous flow

The difference isn’t subtle. In speech, words can stall and be difficult to get out. In song, they move by the rhythm that reduces stops. These are some of the comments you can find on just one of his singing videos posted above:

“GOD BLESS YOU LANDO!!!!! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!”

“The eyebrows at the end was fire.”

“You are an inspiration”

“Brilliant buddy”

“… sounding smooth.”

“Lando with the great voice!!!”

“Now … this kid has charisma!!!”

A courageous little showman

Lando’s videos stand out not just for singing or stuttering, but because both are available, openly shared, without one being hidden or edited out of view. There’s no attempt to turn it all into a single narrative of struggle or success. Instead, what people see is a boy using his voice as it is.

There is something instinctive about the way people rally around a kid like Lando. Sharing the hard parts and the moments that come more easily gives everyone a clear way to respond. Cheering him on, leaving a positive comment, or even just watching and listening allows each of us to take a small part in that effort.

It’s less about celebrating the win and more about recognizing the work and the courage to keep going. Lando is talking and singing it out loud.

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Photo credit: Canva – Many believe cleaning the toilet properly starts by filling it with ice cubes.

Ideas, Impact

Homeowners swear by this simple ice cold hack that thoroughly makes your toilets cleaner

Cleaning the toilet starts by getting an ice cube tray.

Erik Barnes

5/4/2026

Most people welcome a new cleaning hack, especially if it involves the bathroom. Cleaning the toilet isn’t a fun task and getting it thoroughly spotless can get stinky real quick. However, there’s one hack that many homeowners say gets their toilets cleaner with less elbow grease. It involves emptying your ice tray.

There are experts who recommend putting ice cubes down the toilet whenever it is time to clean.

Toilet cleaning starts with your freezer

This understandably sounds weird. Many people might remember flushing ice cubes down the toilet as a superstitious ritual during the winter months to “summon” a snow day from school. But to clean the toilet? That sounds like just as much as a myth.

But there is a logic to it and many homemakers suggest it. First, let’s get this out of the way and say that ice cubes aren’t being flushed to replace regular toilet cleaner. It’s actually being used to help the cleaner be more effective.

So…how could ice help clean my toilet?

Ice in the toilet bowl acts as a support for the toilet cleaner. Often, toilet cleaner drips down the side of the toilet bowl into the water and down the pipe. The ice allows the cleaner to cling to the bowl and its sides for longer, penetrating filth and disinfecting it more effectively.

Here’s the gist on how it works: first, take a bowl of ice cubes and pour them into the toilet. Make sure you’re not filling it to the brim. Next, take your preferred toilet cleaning solution and pour/spray it onto the ice. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to allow the cleaning solution to cling and disinfect the bowl. After that, use a toilet brush to stir and agitate the ice, ensuring that it is scraping all sides of the bowl. By this time, the ice should have melted enough to flush.

There are additional bonuses to using ice with toilet cleaner. The ice can also act as an abrasive pumice stone in addition to your toilet brush, scraping off mildew, mineral build-up, or other yucky things that could be stubbornly clinging to the bowl. The flushed ice could help clean the pipe similarly, dislodging filth and grime in conjunction with the toilet cleaner on its way down.

Another benefit is reducing odor. Ice is known to absorb smells and could make cleaning a little less smelly. It’s one of the reasons why many restaurants, clubs, and bars put ice in men’s urinals.

Many people who frequently travel and live in an RV also recommend flushing ice down their toilets. This is not just to clean the bowl, but to have the ice jostle and scrape the nasty stuff out of the black tank. While this method’s effectiveness in cleaning a black tank is put into question, critics still say that ice can help reduce smells and keep water in the black tank during hot days.

Final tips (specifically “don’ts”)

If you plan on giving this hack a try, be sure not to overflow your toilet with ice. Along with that, while most forms of ice work (cubes, crushed, or chips), putting larger blocks of ice in the toilet won’t do any good and could clog things up if they’re too big.

It’s also important to use one cleaning solution and not mix a bunch together. Mixing cleaning products together could create fumes that are dangerous to inhale. It’s best to use your preferred cleaner and choose a different one next time if you’re getting the results you want.

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