Nathan Machoka

What to Do When You Meet Your Girlfriend’s Parents

Your first meeting with your girlfriend’s parents can be nerve-wracking, but it’s a big step in your relationship. It may also signify that your girlfriend is taking your relationship a notch higher from casual dating. But you are probably asking yourself whether your girlfriend’s parents will like you. And will you like them? So how ...

Nathan Machoka

An older couple.

Rude Habits to Avoid at a Restaurant

Proper dining etiquette can save you from looking bad at a restaurant. Of course, everyone makes some gaffes or minor blunders but learning what to avoid at a restaurant will make life easier for your servers. It may also improve your reputation, especially during business lunch or dinner meetings. Rude behavior to avoid at a ...

Nathan Machoka

Being loud in a restaurant.

Meteorite Knife: The Amazing Work Of 19-Year-Old Tristan Dare

Bladesmiths are fascinating. From the fictional Valyrian steel to the real-life 1,500-year-old pre-Viking sword found by a Swedish 8-year-old, you have to appreciate the ornate craftsmanship that goes into it. And now enter the 19-year-old bladesmith Tristan Dare and his meteorite knife. Dare, who lives in the state of Idaho in the U.S., makes elaborate ...

Nathan Machoka

A Tristan Dare knife.

Social Anxiety vs. Shyness: What Is the Difference?

Shyness is expected in certain social situations. For example, most people have short-term nervousness when going out on a new date or doing a presentation. But when your anxiety starts affecting your life and daily routine, you probably have a social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety is a form of anxiety disorder that is characterized by ...

Nathan Machoka

A shy girl.

Ways to Make a Man Feel Loved and Appreciated

Barbara de Angelis said, “You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.” When you’ve lived with your partner for a long time, it’s easy to become overtaken by daily routines. Life just happens. Kids, long working hours, and different routines can make a man feel less needed and loved.  You don’t need ...

Nathan Machoka

A man giving his partner breakfast in bed.

Free Your Thoughts: Relax and Reduce Stress Without Technology

Modern tech has made true relaxation quite hard, often leading to stress. You stare at your computer all day only to go home and stare at your screens most of the night. During the COVID-19 lockdown, screen time increased dramatically. According to Frontiers, screen time increased by 70 percent and there was also a significant ...

Nathan Machoka

Smiling woman lounging back on the couch.

Morning Star: Record-Breaking Star Is 28 Billion Light-Years Away

A team of astronomers announced that they recently detected the farthest star ever seen. The star, nicknamed Earendel, is 28 billion light-years away from Earth.  The discovery of a 13 billion-year-old star The star is cataloged as WHL0137-LS, but its catchier name, Earendel, is an Old English name meaning ‘morning star.’ The star spotted by the ...

Nathan Machoka

A bright blue star shining in deep space.

Does Your Computer Need More RAM? A Guide to Capacity

Having enough RAM is important for your laptop’s fast performance and responsiveness. RAM (Random Access Memory) is your computer’s temporary storage. And when you open many applications or several browser tabs, your RAM stores data that you need to retrieve quickly.  You probably know that more intensive laptop applications need more RAM. But does your ...

Nathan Machoka

A document on a laptop.

How to Spur Self-Growth When Traveling

Self-growth requires planning, goal-setting, reflection, and self-awareness. You grow by challenging yourself and going out of your comfort zone. That’s why traveling fosters personal development.  When you travel, it makes you more independent, creative, and empathetic whether you are relocating or taking a vacation. In addition, it’s a way to improve your patience, global awareness, ...

Nathan Machoka

A woman standing on railraod tracks with a suitcase.

A Brief History of Hot Dog Diplomacy

So, what is hot dog diplomacy? And how did the hot dog come to be a White House diplomatic symbol? The story goes like this:  In 1939 — when the war drums were sounding across Europe — the British royalty visited the American president Franklin D. Roosevelt. And this journey included a visit to FDR’s ...

Nathan Machoka

Man holding an American hot dog.