Two bouillon cubes in a big pot of water makes a world of difference for cheap soup. Soup doesn't have to taste like nothing just because you're on a budget. You might be skipping the cheap stuff that actually gives it flavor, like a spoonful of tomato paste or dried herbs. Once you get a base that tastes good, you can throw any leftover veggies in there without wasting them.

I read somewhere about the spotlight effect making people mess up simple tasks when watched, which totally fits what @flores.lisa said about family pressure making you rush.

That thing was stupid bright, like a UFO meme come to life lol. Your guider freaking over the ISS is such a mood, mine used to treat any passing plane like an asteroid impact. This satellite looked like a angry star someone threw across the sky, no flashing lights or anything. Bet it gave some random government sensor a panic attack before it burned up.

Guess my brain short-circuits trying to picture horses waiting at charging stations... maybe that's why I failed history class.

But did it really change much? We still had decades of scary proxy wars and arms races after that... feels like the hotline just managed panic without fixing the real problems.