#5SmartReads - December 13, 2022

Hitha on cooking boxes, the real-life love story behind A California Christmas, and Ozempic

December 13, 2022

Do you know what a cooking box is?

Commonly used in WWII when people had to ration their energy usage for the war effort, it’s basically an insulating box that uses less gas than traditional stoves.

And they’re making a comeback in Italy.

The sheared fleece from Tuscan sheep isn’t the best quality for clothing, but nonprofit Filo & Fibra is using this fleece to line felt or wooden boxes that pots can be placed inside to continue the cooking process, after the pot has come to a boil. Not only do these boxes help reduce energy usage and gas bills, but they also offer freedom from the kitchen - the boxes don’t need to be monitored the way a gas stove has to be, so those cooking can let the meal continue cooking while they do anything else.

Top chefs in the region have embraced these cooking boxes as well, to high praise from their customers.

I kind of want one of these boxes for myself. And after reading this article, you might want one as well.

My favorite holiday tradition with my dad is watching a cheesy Christmas movie every night we’re together during the season.

And having seen most of the new ones, we’re catching up on releases we missed the past couple of years. And A California Christmas was one of our favorites.

Naturally, I had to Google the film. And reading about the real-life couple that stars in the film (and that Lauren wrote and produced both the first film and the sequel) is a rom com itself - and one that makes my cold heart a little happier.

It’s a happy article about films that make us happy (I’m just assuming the second is as good as the first), and I want a third and more from this refreshingly real couple. Lauren and Cali Christmas’ executive producer and costart Ali Afshar have a new series in post-production, and I can’t wait to watch it.

Ozempic is trending right now - and for all the wrong reasons.

Approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, the drug (and other GLP-1 drugs, which are designed to increase insulin sensitivity) has been used widely for weight loss, causing a shortage of the drug for those who need it and with price increases benefitting the manufacturer and those who can afford it (these class of drugs are priced around ~$1000 per month, and elective patients have been willing to pay out of pocket for them).

This situation is what I call the perfect storm in pharmaceuticals - demand is high, meaning prices can be set higher because the market will bear it, and those who actually need this medication are the ones who can’t find it or afford it, thus exacerbating the inequities that exist in America’s disease management system.

And we haven’t even talked about the side effects, which are not negligible and can cause more harm than help in the long run if these drugs are being administered for weight loss only.

It’s a messed up situation. And unfortunately, it’s the norm - just the latest example of it.

I get that everyone is obsessed with White Lotus. While I haven’t jumped on that train yet, I do want you to watch Riches as a refreshing chaser to that show.

It is phenomenal. And Deborah Ayorinde absolutely slays as Nina.

“In the same way as the series celebrates Black success, it also carves a space for powerful women, as they navigate personal and professional tensions. ‘We hold the power in our hands’, says Ayorinde about the female characters in Riches. ‘I think one of the themes of the show was powerful, badass women who are smart and strong and beautiful’. She puts this down to its female creator, Ajayi. ‘She gets it because she's a woman. She did a great job with framing each of our characters’.”

I need more seasons, a prequel series, and for Deborah to be in everything. So please watch it and give it the love it has earned and deserves.

Lebanon made headlines earlier this year with the plunge of their economy and the financial vulnerability of all its residents. And without a head of state, this will only get worse.

So what’s the holdup on a new president?

Lebanon’s parliament has failed to elect a successor to President Michel Aoun the last 9 times it has met, and these meetings are straight out of a dramatic Housewives episode.

Casting blank ballots or writing in false candidates. Walking out midway to deny a quorum (and thus disbanding the meeting).

There’s a lot more driving these actions, and this explainer is very worth your time to get a better understanding of what’s happening in this Gulf Levantine nation and how the region’s geopolitics is directly influencing it.

A note from a Smart Reader: Lebanon is not a Gulf nation. That actually is a problematic characterization based on geopolitics. We do not border or touch the Gulf, and we are considered a Levantine country located in the Levant and we touch the Med Sea

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