This is the most frustrating and stupid news cycle - the US government has been sending folks back to Colombia via commercial flights since like 2020. The Biden administration sent 124 flights last year. The only difference is that the Trump team wanted to make a big show of sending people in chains on a military flight, and the Colombian government wanted their citizens to be treated like human beings. Our media is shamefully inadequate to this moment.

He’s right about one thing, he doesn’t deserve to be called “dad”. I think I speak for all us decent dads here when I say any one of us would be proud to have a kid who’s as smart, capable, and levelheaded as you sound. Keep your head down and get out as soon as you can.

Can we stop using this Stephen Crowder meme? That guy is the worst

Great, now we’ll never be rid of these assholes…

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2057760/Esoteric_Ebb/

It’s so good! Inspired by Disco Elysium but in a fantasy setting.

They’re talking about the “Peace Prize” that FIFA gave him this week.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-world-cup-fifa-peace-prize-e14f95b8adaa197c869cad407b6ef604

Amazing to see the Boomer Humor live on in another generation.

There are plenty of Americans who suffer from the exact same kind of social anxiety and lack of social confidence that you’re describing. If you’re only meeting or observing Americans who are traveling or living in Germany then your sample is skewed towards the kind of people who have the confidence and experience to travel internationally.

It sounds to me like you would benefit from talking to a therapist who could help you manage your social anxiety, but if you didn’t want to do that for whatever reason, I would try treating small talk as a skill that you’re trying to get better at. Set yourself a small daily goal - like having one chat about the weather with a cashier while you’re shopping. You can’t skip right to being an expert at small talk; you need to gain confidence and experience. I would like to say to you, in my experience, it’s easiest to talk about things you’re interested in or passionate about. Are there any groups or clubs that meet to engage in hobbies you like? A group like that can help you break through the awkwardness of not knowing what to talk about.

Personally, I think you sound like a thoughtful, interesting person, and I bet you’d be fun to talk to. Don’t be so hard on yourself, and remember that everyone has these feelings; it’s perfectly natural and not something to get down on yourself about. Sorry for writing a whole novel, but I hope this was helpful in some small way!

Sure studio/publisher consolidation is trashing AAA development but I’d argue that the opposite is true of the indie scene - more and better games than ever.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_of_Identity_Foundation

She’s in a cult

He’s also trying to draw attention away from the illegal deportations they did over the weekend.

Simply put, the Russians can’t be trusted to honor any agreement that’s not backed up by force. Their “terms” aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. They’ve never honored any agreement they’ve made with Ukraine, and as long as Putin is in power they never will.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/linkin-park-emily-armstrong-danny-masterson-scientology-1235096707/

Except, again, there’s no reason to believe that Russia was negotiating in good faith, and it sounds like the inclusion of security guarantees from the West is one of the reasons the talks broke down.

Again, Russia has broken basically every treaty and agreement they’ve ever made with Ukraine.

https://thedispatch.com/article/russia-history-broken-treaties-agreements/?signup=success

Gavin Newsom is everything that is wrong with the Democratic establishment. Phony-ass, performative, spineless opportunist.

Most people vote on vibes - that’s what the data always shows. They follow their peers, community, maybe a trusted authority figure. They are not, and have never been informed on issues, and they aren’t interested in learning more about them. I think those of us who do try to stay informed fall into the trap of thinking “if these folks were only better educated about this issue they would vote differently”. But that has never been and will never be true. Gotta project better vibes, baby!

You could always leave first and see if anyone follows you!

You have to seek help. It sounds like you’re dealing with serious mental health issues, and finding support from a competent professional would be the first step in feeling better. I don’t know how much it helps to hear this from a stranger on the internet, but these challenges in no way reflect on your worth as a person. It seems like you’ve been struggling with this for a long time, and you definitely deserve love and support to help you navigate these feelings. You’re not a bad person because you can’t navigate this stuff alone, you’ve been denied the support and care that would allow you to heal. Please don’t give up! Seek help, however you can.

Are you like, on the Halliburton payroll or something?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/bernie-sanders-israel-gaza-democrats-vote-b2799185.html

He’s on record as supporting an arms embargo on Israel