Use your friend group to help you. In a situation with people you don't know, have one of your friends work with you and introduce topics into the conversation... asking your opinion on something, for example. Then you can begin the interaction by looking at and interacting with a person you already know well and feel comfortable with. Then that friend can engage a different person and bring them into the conversation and you can follow their interaction with your eyes on the stranger. Look at the person and nod or whatever when appropriate, even if they are not looking directly at you, and listen. If you relax and focus on what they are saying, while they are talking to (and looking at) your friend, you will likely become more comfortable talking to (and looking at) that new person. It's a place to start, anyway.

I loved it too. It sort of fell apart at the end and felt rather unfinished, but for the most part, I enjoyed it a great deal. The movie, not so much, but probably for the same reason...they tried to make up for the weak finish, and screwed it up even worse!

Unified or not, the powers that be will always find a greedy way to go f&^* up someone else's country and economy and stability. What a mess we've made of Central America, and now "we" want to prevent them from escaping the mess we made when they come here for sanctuary.

Good, one!

Oh, it is absolutely toxic positivity to ban all words that may possibly be construed as hurtful, mean, ugly, or uncharitable in any way regardless of how important they are/were to the telling of our history and most important stories. And controlling the language of literature, social media, news media publications, live broadcasts, entertainment, and especially textbooks is blatantly ridiculous. There is a misplaced desire in many people to make some kind of self-serving statement to underline the fact that they are a "good" person and a kind person, above all other things. To feed a need for a sort of sham moral superiority. A need to not have any single person or animal ever suffer regardless of the overall realistic picture or natural progression of events in the world. The overwhelmingly naïve point of view that erasure of "mean" language can change the world for the better is inane, childish, unintelligent, moronic, and potentially quite destructive. This behavior IS toxic, and I see it everywhere. For example, I may criticize a post on a food presentation, or a room redesign, or a sewing project, or a video production, posted on reddit subs that are pretty much invitations for honest critique. And I am not ugly or mean, just honest. I get hit like a tornado for being "mean" and "negative." People tell me I should just move on if I don't like something, saying that something less than blind positivity is unwelcome. I will not live like that, nor accept that behavior without a counter-stance.

The only time I remember the country being united was one of the worst days in our history. Isn't that the saddest thing ever????

It's a seriously harmful symptom of toxic positivity, a modern disease that is destroying much of our ability to honestly communicate with one another especially in the USA.

These proportions are good, but I also add...

star anise (3 small or 2 large), 3 whole cloves, coriander seeds and/or caraway seeds, and a smashed garlic clove.

• ½ small red onion
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp mustard seeds (optional)

Where are you!

Hodgson's story scared the absolute crap out of me when I was a teenager!! Creepy beyond creepy. So well written, the visual image, and the sounds of the still, dark, cloudy night and the sea have never faded from my memory.

Much like your comment....

I sit in a comfortable chair with head support, and put my book on a poofy pillow on my lap. Even two if needed. I have cushioning for my elbows as well. Sometimes I put my feet up and sometimes I don't, but I always use the big pillow to hold the book up!

"Banana Pudding" as a "thing" is a traditional recipe invented by either Moms, Grandmas, or Nabisco many years ago that revolves around Nabisco Vanilla Wafers. The recipe is made from scratch, with eggs etc. to make your custard as you go, so I have no idea why anyone is trying to make it using already made banana pudding or pudding mix.