'I got the impression that he is ready'

'We are living in perilous times'

Ain't no kind of science is gonna make me agree with this

In Super Mario RPG‚ you’ll find lots of neat items for your characters‚ but some of them (like the Lucky Hammer) prove especially intriguing. Here is our guide telling you how to get the Lucky Hammer in Super Mario RPG. Super Mario RPG – how to get the Lucky Hammer The Lucky Hammer isn’t available until you’ve gathered more than half of the seven stars. By the time you can purchase it‚ the weapon is outclassed by more exciting gear that does more direct damage. However‚ there’s more to a weapon than its ATK stat‚ which is why you might buy the weapon. To get the Lucky Hammer‚ purchase it from the merchant in Seaside Town. The residents of Seaside Town‚ which is built along the water near the map’s lower left area‚ are not themselves when you first encounter them. Although the town has numerous shops‚ most of the shopkeepers are too alarmed to offer the typical wares. To fix the situation‚ you must clear the nearby Sea and Sunken...

As people across the country prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving‚ a Doris Day quote comes to mind: “Gratitude is riches and complaint is poverty.” The American actress and singer was right‚ and this week especially‚ each of us should take a moment to consider the unique history of this quintessential American holiday‚ what science says about gratitude‚ and how celebrating Thanksgiving can improve your life. Thanksgiving has its roots before the Revolutionary War‚ of course‚ but it wasn’t until George Washington’s 1789 proclamation that the holiday officially became a national celebration. As with so many other things‚ Washington set our new republic on a solid course by encouraging all Americans to unite in setting aside Nov. 26 to render “sincere and humble thanks” to God “for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country.” Most subsequent presidents dropped the ball on Thanksgiving‚ especially Thomas Jefferson‚ who thought it was a violation of the separation of church and state. Indeed‚ the holiday largely was forgotten until Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition in 1862‚ setting Thanksgiving Day as the fourth Thursday in November from that time forward. When Franklin Delano Roosevelt—whose four terms in the White House reflected his fondness for breaking tradition—tried to change the date to prolong the Christmas shopping season‚ Congress stepped in and set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November by law in 1941. Thanksgiving‚ in other words‚ is like America: It has faced many challenges‚ but endured through each of them. And that’s a good thing. Researchers at the John Templeton Foundation have uncovered that “in general‚ more grateful people are happier‚ more satisfied with their lives‚ less materialistic‚ and less likely to suffer form burnout.” Other studies show that more grateful heart patients report better sleep‚ less fatigue and less inflammation. Grateful people were not only happier and healthier themselves‚ they also positively influenced others through higher levels of generosity‚ kindness‚ and helpfulness. Giving thanks improves relationships and can even make our homes‚ our workplaces‚ and perhaps even our country better places to live. Giving thanks is easier said than done‚ however‚ especially in a world where “anger has come to characterize our polarized political environment‚” as scholar Patrick Garry has noted. But despite all that there is to be angry about—from crime and inflation to war and wokeness—conservatives especially can’t give up on Thanksgiving. Gratitude is the heart of conservatism‚ and in the long run‚ it may even prove to be the virtue that “helps sand off the edges of anger toward those we disagree with” and unite us a country again‚ as conservative writer Pete Wehner has suggested. This Thanksgiving‚ then‚ how can you best use your holiday? For starters‚ you might consider avoiding politics altogether. Politics‚ which increasingly resembles a contact sport‚ rarely brings families together and it is hopefully not the most important thing in your life. But what is? This Thanksgiving‚ perhaps‚ consider reflecting on the four basic things that the wisdom of the Scriptures‚ Aristotle‚ and modern social science all indicate lead to human happiness: family‚ friends‚ work‚ and religion. Why not focus conversations on these topics‚ deeply connecting with friends and family? One tried and true way to do that is to count your blessings‚ literally. It is nearly impossible to make a list of all the things you are thankful for‚ but it is a great exercise and you’ll end up feeling much better than you did before. Although you certainly can do this individually‚ you might also suggest that everyone around the Thanksgiving table voice what they’re grateful for. If they’re hesitant to share‚ consider reminding them: “Gratitude is riches and complaint is poverty.” ©2023 Tribune Content Agency LLC Originally published by Tribune News Service Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post This Thanksgiving‚ Stuff Yourself With Gratitude appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Since the founding of the United Nations nearly eight decades ago‚ the United States has been the largest financier of the organization. Yet few grasp exactly how much U.S. contributions outstrip those of other nations‚ and fewer still seem to appreciate America’s generosity‚ least of all the U.N. and the other member states. Last year alone‚ according to the U.N. Chief Executives Board‚ the United States provided $18.1 billion to the U.N. system. This represented more than a third of all government revenue received by the U.N. system in 2022. Both in dollar terms and as a percentage of total government contributions to the U.N. system‚ U.S. contributions are at a 10-year high. How does that measure up to contributions from other nations? The U.S. gave about three times as much as second-place Germany ($6.8 billion) and over six times as much as third-place Japan ($2.7 billion) in 2022. In fact‚ the U.S. provided more funding to the U.N. system than 185 other U.N. member states combined. That puts complaints that the U.S. needs to pay more into perspective‚ doesn’t it? What about China? Every U.N. pundit talks about China’s increasing financial contributions and the corresponding increase in Beijing’s influence. Both are true‚ but the situation is more nuanced because not all contributions are the same. Contributions to the U.N. system fall into two baskets: assessed contributions and voluntary contributions. Assessed funding is the amount that member states are charged by the U.N. and some of its affiliated organizations to support their operations. Although the U.S. has periodically withheld a portion of this funding‚ assessed contributions are generally considered obligatory. In 2022‚ the U.S. paid $3.1 billion in assessed contributions to the U.N. and its affiliated organizations in the U.N. system. This was about 23.7% of all assessed contributions paid by governments. By comparison‚ China is now the second-highest contributor to the U.N. system in terms of assessed contributions—$1.95 billion in 2022‚ or about 14.9% of all assessed contributions paid by governments. Voluntary funding is the amount that governments provide to the U.N. without obligation. In 2022‚ the U.S. provided nearly $15 billion in such contributions. This represented over 38% of all voluntary contributions provided by governments to the U.N. system in 2022. By contrast‚ China contributed less than $164 million in voluntary contributions in 2022—equivalent to 0.42% of the total. When it comes to voluntary funding to the U.N. system‚ Beijing ranked behind Colombia and Argentina. The U.S. is especially generous in giving voluntary humanitarian aid. In 2022‚ the U.S. provided 50% of all contributions to the World Food Program‚ 36% of all contributions to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees‚ 34% of all contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East‚ and 32% of all contributions to the International Organization for Migration. Overall‚ the U.S. contributed over 8.5 times what China did to the U.N. system in 2022. But it contributed over 90 times more in voluntary contributions. In other words‚ when it comes to U.N. funding‚ particularly when it is not obligated‚ America stands far above China. By any objective measure‚ the U.S. is doing its share and more. One would think such generosity would empower the U.S. and be a mighty tool to influence other nations to support our positions. Sadly‚ the opposite is the case. In its most recent report to Congress‚ the State Department noted that on average other countries voted with the U.S. in the U.N. General Assembly only 41% of the time. Historically‚ the average voting coincidence is even worse at 32%. Some of the biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid‚ both bilaterally and through the U.N. system‚ are among the countries that vote against the U.S. most often. Worse‚ U.N. officials actually criticize the U.S. for not shelling out even more. Earlier this year‚ U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the U.S. and other rich countries for broken promises and demanded they provide $500 billion per year in additional aid. Not that the U.N. will ever be satisfied. In recent months‚ the U.N. secretary-general announced that the annual funding gap to meet the organization’s Sustainable Development Goals “has risen from $2.5 trillion before the pandemic to an estimated $4.2 trillion” and the International Energy Agency announced that climate change targets would require global clean energy spending to rise from “USD 1.8 trillion in 2023 to USD 4.5 trillion annually by the early 2030s.” A trillion here‚ a trillion there. How casually the U.N. demands that the U.S. and other governments commit more than the entire U.S. federal budget to its projects and causes. And how readily the Biden administration has bought into this perspective. They keep upping their funding requests for the U.N.‚ rejoin and seek more money for deeply flawed organizations like the Human Rights Council and when Congress balks: “[T]he Administration’s efforts to pay our bills in full have been only partially met by Congress. We continue to maintain high balances on arrears and pay late; it’s China’s favorite talking point.” Certainly‚ countries like China‚ Cuba‚ and others delight in criticizing the U.S. for paying its assessed contributions late or withholding a portion of those payments to leverage reforms to improve transparency or accountability. But this is a long-term irritant. The bigger question is why China is successfully expanding its influence in the U.N. while contributing a fraction of what the U.S. does. After all‚ U.S. voluntary contributions are seven times more than the entire amount China contributes to the U.N. system. The reality is that other governments and the U.N. have come to view American taxpayer dollars as an entitlement—and too often the Biden administration agrees. The U.N. is in fact not entitled to U.S. funding‚ particularly voluntary funding‚ especially when that funding is used to bad ends like supporting Palestinian extremism through the UNRWA. Like people‚ organizations and governments respond to incentives. Having a seat at the table‚ as State Secretary Antony Blinken likes to say‚ is a grossly insufficient and expensive strategy‚ and the results have been underwhelming. China is using pressure‚ diplomacy‚ and financial incentives to shift global outcomes to its preference‚ including at the U.N. U.S. influence will continue to fade unless the U.S. is willing to use the tools at its disposal to reward positive outcomes and punish negative outcomes. That means reminding the U.N. and other governments how dependent they are on U.S. funding and demonstrating that U.S. support can and will be impacted by their actions. Originally published by RealClearWorld Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Biden Sets Record on US Taxpayer Funding for an Unappreciative UN appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Melissa Barrera‚ the 33-year-old Mexican actress‚ has been let go from her role in the upcoming movie “Scream VII” due to her Instagram posts discussing the Israel-Hamas conflict. Melissa Barrera had joined the iconic slasher franchise in 2022 and played the prominent role of Sam Carpenter in its fifth and sixth installments‚ alongside Jenna Ortega. On Tuesday‚ sources confirmed to Variety that Barrera has been dropped from Spyglass Media’s upcoming sequel. This decision was primarily influenced by her social media posts‚ which have been critical of Israel and have raised accusations about alleged anti-Semitic undertones. Barrera has published tens of posts on the subject. One of her posts read: “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp‚” and other posts accused Israel of ethnic cleansing. Another post read‚ “Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together‚ with no where to go‚ no electricity no water. People have learnt nothing from our histories. And just like our histories‚ people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE &; ETHNIC CLEANSING.” According to Variety‚ Barerra was accused of crossing the line into antisemitism with‚ “an antisemitic trope that Jews control the media.” Variety included a statement Barrera had posted: “Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that‚ I will let you deduce for yourself.” Spyglass Media released the following statement: “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form‚ including false references to genocide‚ ethnic cleansing‚ Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.” Scream 7 director Christopher Landon has‚ however‚ commented on Barrera being fired from the film; “ Everything sucks. Stop yelling. This was not my decision to make.” The post “Scream” Actress Melissa Barrera is Fired Over Isreal-Hamas Commentary on Social Media appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

A man spotted a lone kitten huddled among fallen leaves and stopped to help‚ so the young cat could have a better life. Richard the kittenCelineBruce‚ an employee at a park in Montreal‚ was caught off guard when he encountered a tiny ball of fur pleading for help with his crusty eyes.He saw the lone kitten huddled among a scattering of fallen foliage‚ trying to seek warmth and solace. The weather was freezing‚ and the air was biting. Bruce looked around for a mother cat and other littermates‚ but there was no sign of them.He scooped up the kitten‚ warmed him in his arms‚ and rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic for help. He was found alone in a park by a workerCelineThe kitten‚ named Richard‚ was estimated to be four weeks old‚ had an upper respiratory infection and some bald spots on his back leg due to ringworm.He was immediately treated for his cold and given some much-needed nourishment. CelineDespite being sickly and barely able to open his eyes‚ the kitten cried for attention‚ using all the strength he could muster.Richard needed a dedicated carer to continue his treatment and ensure that he was kept warm and fed adequately around the clock. The staff at the clinic reached out to their local animal rescue‚ hoping to give the kitten a fighting chance. Sweet Richard wanted attentionCelineCeline of Chatons Orphelins Montreal didn't hesitate to offer placement for little Richard. She took him in and got right to work."We began bottle-feeding him‚ giving him strength and nourishment to heal from his cold. He would need continuous treatment for ringworm which would take about five weeks to complete‚" Celine shared. CelineRichard struggled with the bottle initially but didn't let that discourage him. "He held onto it with all his might because he wanted to live. This little guy is such a fighter."His foster mom carefully wiped away the gunk from his eyes and then gave him a warm‚ soothing bath. He got a much-needed bathCelineSwaddled in a soft and comfy towel‚ Richard started to purr as he felt a sense of contentment washing over him.The brave kitten took everything in stride. After just a few days in foster care‚ his eyes cleared up and his breathing improved noticeably. His eyes cleared up and he could breathe a lot betterCelineWith attentive care from his foster family‚ he could now gaze upon the world with newfound curiosity. His once-drab coat also became soft and gleaming.As his strength returned‚ so did his playful spirit. His personality started to emerge. Richard cozied up in a warm blanketCelineRichard tags along with his foster mom in a carrier to keep up with his demanding feeding schedule."He was so lucky to have been found outside when he was alone and sick. He wouldn't have survived another night in such cold temperatures." He follows his foster mom everywhere in a carrierCelineWith the help of the gentleman‚ a veterinary team and volunteers‚ Richard has gained a new lease on life.His appetite grows heartier each day‚ his meals devoured with gusto. His once sluggish movements are replaced by a wriggly‚ playful vigor. He gets bottle fed around the clockCelineOnce he's completely recovered‚ he will be introduced to other friendly cats in the house‚ where they will show him the ropes and teach him the art of feline etiquette. He's transformed into a happy‚ curious kittyCelineShare this story with your friends. More on Richard the kitten and Chatons Orphelins Montreal on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Four Kittens Found Outside at One Week Old Have Come a Long Way as a Tight-knit Bunch

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