INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Good body language is central to helping the other person feel comfortable and open to talking to you. Sitting ramrod straight in your chair may actually make the other person uneasy. To demonstrate your comfort level, smile gently and lean back a bit in your chair for an angular posture. Or, prop yourself casually against a wall or column if you’re standing. Another way to show you’re relaxed is by loosening up your shoulders. Drop them down and backwards if they're tense. A good conversation involves a connection between you and the other person. You won’t achieve that connection if you’re facing away from them. Plus, turning your body or your feet away demonstrates that you’re actually ready to leave. Instead, orient your body towards the other person. To exhibit interest during certain parts of the conversation, lean forward towards the person. Regular eye contact is essential to keeping a conversation going. You should immediately make eye contact at the start of the conversation. Then, maintain it by looking into the other person’s eyes for about four to five seconds. Looking away is okay, too! Take a few seconds to survey your surroundings before re-establishing eye contact again. Aim for about half the time when you are speaking and 70 percent of the time when you are listening. Sticking to this ratio helps you remember how much eye contact to make without staring someone down. Crossed arms and legs send the message that you’re disinterested in what the other person has to say. It can also make you appear guarded or defensive. If you have a habit of crossing your arms and legs, make an extra effort to relax them at your sides during a conversation. It's perfectly okay if this doesn't feel normal to you at first. Give it a try. Over time, you may come to feel more at ease. If you’re not feeling too confident, you can position your body in a way that makes you look and feel self-assured. When sitting, try clasping your hands behind your head in an inverted “V.” If you’re standing, a great way to power-pose is by placing your hands on your hips during the conversation.

SUMMARY: Display relaxed body language. Face the person you're talking to. Make eye contact. Uncross your arms and legs. Power-pose to project confidence.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Extension poles are the key to successfully painting tall walls. Purchase or rent an extension pole from your local hardware store or online, and find a paint roller that will screw into it. Extension poles cost anywhere from $15-$30 with longer poles being more expensive. Paint rollers cost around $10.  Borrowing an extension pole or roller from a friend is a good way to save money. For help figuring out which extension poles and rollers will work best together, ask an employee at a hardware store or do some research online. Place the bottom of the ladder firmly on the ground and position it against the wall carefully. How long the ladder needs to be will depend on how tall your walls are, but choosing an extension ladder is always a good idea. Make sure the ladder's safety features are working properly.  If you don’t have a tall ladder, ask friends, neighbors, or coworkers if they have one you can borrow.  You can also call your local hardware store and ask them if you can rent a ladder for the day. If your walls have nail holes or other small imperfections, apply a spackling compound to the hole. For tiny holes, apply a small amount of spackle to the hole and smooth it with your finger. For larger holes, level the spackle with a putty knife. After the paste dries, gently sand the spot so that it’s smooth.  Use a tall ladder to spackle spots that are out of your reach. Read the tube of spackling paste to know how long it will take to dry. After you’ve sanded it down, you can use a damp rag to wipe off the dust. If you don’t want to have to worry about painting in a straight line, put painter’s tape along the edges of the wall. Use a tall ladder to tape the very top edges. Be careful and tape slowly, making sure the tape is even and firmly pressed down. Paint brushes, rollers, and edgers can all be messy, especially when attached to an extension pole. To ensure primer or paint doesn't get on the floor, spread out a drop cloth. Make sure the cloth reaches all the way to the wall's edge. You can also use a drop cloth to cover any furniture in the room that isn't able to be moved. Primer is useful when painting over a dark color or damaged wall, as well as in many other situations. There are many different primers made for certain scenarios, so go online or ask an employee at a hardware store if your walls need a primer.  Attach your paint brush or roller to an extension pole to prime the tall parts of your wall. Let the primer dry before beginning the rest of the painting. Check your can of primer to see how long it will take to dry completely.

SUMMARY: Find a paint extension pole and roller that are compatible. Set up your tall ladder. Use spackling paste if the wall has holes or rough spots. Apply painter’s tape to edges of walls if desired. Put down a drop cloth to protect the floors. Prime your walls if necessary.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: From any screen in your browser, click your profile picture in the upper right. When successful, you'll be taken back to the home page.

SUMMARY: Go to your profile page. Choose "Sign out" in the dropdown menu.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Adjust the racks so there's one in the middle of the oven. You may also need to remove the top rack if there's not much space between the middle and top racks. There should be at least 5 inches (13 cm) of space between the racks. Put the buns onto the middle rack in the preheated oven and bake them until the tops turn golden brown. The paste crosses should turn a rich yellow color and harden. Set the sheet of buns on the stove and put 3 tablespoons (60 g) of apricot jam into a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat the jam until it melts. If you don't have apricot jam, substitute peach jam.

SUMMARY:
Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C) and move the oven racks. Bake the hot cross buns for 20 minutes. Remove the buns and microwave the apricot jam for 10 seconds.