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Home » Local » Despite gov't encouragement, parties say coalition building 'not viable' ahead of elections
Despite gov't encouragement, parties say coalition building 'not viable' ahead of elections
By Laila Azzeh - Aug 01,2016 - Last updated at Aug 01,2016
Representatives of political parties attend a conference in Amman on Monday (Petra photo)
AMMAN — While the government believes that political parties will gain power and influence by forming coalitions prior to the September 20 parliamentary elections, parties still consider themselves incapable of forming such alliances.
With the increasing number of licensed political parties, which now number 49, the pros and cons of building coalitions amid a "lack of mature political, economic and social agendas" were the highlight of a conference on Monday that brought the government and parties together.
The "Coalition-Building of Political Parties towards and after Elections: Reasons, Challenges and Benefits" conference, which was organised by the German Friedrich Naumann Stiftung, revealed disparities in parties' views over the Elections Law, the government's financial support to parties and the likelihood of convincing citizens to head to the ballots.
"The current Elections Law is the best electoral system for political parties, whose participation in the parliamentary elections will be much better and stronger through coalitions," said Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of State Musa Maaytah.
He added that "collective efforts give parties more opportunity to reach out to voters in electoral constituencies based on programmes, while saving time and money".
"The law is considered parties-friendly as it allows them to have social power," said Maaytah.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of representatives of political parties attending the conference voiced frustration over the law, with some saying that it "tears apart the fabric of Jordanian society".
Under the 2015 Elections Law, voting is based on the open proportional list at the district level.
The law stipulates that each list should include no fewer than three candidates and no more than the number of seats allocated for the constituency in which the list is competing.
Under the proportional electoral system, winning lists will be allocated seats according to the percentage of votes they received. The seats will be distributed to the ticket members with the most votes.
"The law brought us back to tribalism. Those who believe that it will produce a better parliament are deluded," said one of the parties' representatives.
Another highlighted that forming coalitions requires time, a "privilege parties do not have with the elections date around the corner".
The parties also criticised the mechanism and size of the government's financial support to parties, noting that the money given to fund their campaigns was not sufficient.
Under a by-law that regulates the funding of political parties, the government's contribution will be JD50,000 every year with an additional amount of no more than JD50,000 if the party's candidates run in at least 35 per cent of the constituencies and the candidates had been members of the party for at least one year before Lower House elections.
An additional JD20,000 can be provided to parties in an election year to spend on campaigning, while JD5,000 is offered to parties that form coalitions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The government said the by-law aimed to enable parties with clearly defined platforms to reach Parliament.
"There should be special attention to newly-established political parties in terms of financial support," said one of the participants.
The conference included several seminars that focused on the technical aspects of the Elections Law, Germany's experience in forming coalitions among parties and the impact of coalitions on Jordan's parliamentary and political life.
Cabinet approves by-law to regulate support for political parties
AMMAN — The Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved the amended draft by-law on funding political parties, the Jordan News Agency, Petra,
Islamist party to field 25 lists in September elections
AMMAN — The Islamic Action Front (IAF) has agreed to field 25 lists covering every governorate for the parliamentary election, slated for Se
Gov't to amend by-law on funding political parties — Maaytah
AMMAN — Work is currently under way to amend the by-law regulating the government's financial support for political parties, according to Mi


A cool night, the smell of damp earth, 15 young dancers. Joy and anticipation are palpable. When the techno beat begins, a complex web of emotions, longings and tensions develops in the microcosm of a dance-loving community. Intoxicating, threatening and liberating forces unite in the collective ritual of movement.
Gisèle Vienne, a Franco-Austrian director, choreographer and visual artist, meticulously explores the conflicts that flare up within a group of young people. Does violence also have positive potential? Can it be regarded as a constructive part of a society? 1990s Berlin – techno, punk and Love Parade – is as much an inspiration for Gisèle Vienne as contemporary club culture and archaic rituals. Carried by Peter Rehberg's tracks selection , and in an electrifying synergy with light and movement, the magic of a rave unfolds. Oscillating between a daydream and a trance, Crowd makes our linear perception of time stand still.
GISÈLE VIENNE is a franco-austrian artist, choreographer and director. After graduating in Philosophy, she studied at the puppeteering school Ecole Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette. She works regularly with, among others, the writers Dennis Cooper, the musicians Peter Rehberg and Stephen O'Malley, the light designer Patrick Riou and the actor Jonathan Capdevielle. Since the company was founded in 1999, 14 shows have been created.


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A recent lawsuit has put the spotlight on the popular arthritis drug Xeljanz and the potential risks it poses for sepsis and amputations resulting from sepsis. A 68-year-old woman in Arkansas named Marilyn Stube claims that she got sepsis from using the drug and the sepsis resulted in the amputation of all four of her limbs. While lawsuits against Pfizer are common, this lawsuit is worth paying attention to because of certain details—like the fact that Pfizer includes warnings about the risk of sepsis on the drug's labels in the European Union, Canada, and Australia. The fact that Pfizer chose not to put the same label on its product in the U.S. is a reason to be suspicious and to increase the possibility that the lawsuit could be successful.
If you or someone you know is taking Xeljanz for arthritis, it could be beneficial to learn more about the lawsuit in Arkansas and the risk of sepsis posed by the drug. If you are taking Xeljanz and have gotten sepsis and possibly had to have a limb amputated, talking to an experienced Xeljanz amputatuion attorney at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC could help you understand your legal options moving forward. As with all of our pharmaceutical litigation matters, we handle Xaljanz lawsuits on a contingency fee basis—where there is never a fee charged unless there is a financial recovery for you.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Sepsis is the body's extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have —in your skin, lungs, urinary tract, or somewhere else—triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death."
Sepsis is exceptionally dangerous, which is why medical professionals and caregivers are trained to prevent sepsis as much as possible. When a drug carries an increased risk of sepsis, it is vital that the drug maker include that information in labeling. Only with proper labeling and warnings can health care providers and their patients make informed decisions about taking such drugs.
What is Xeljanz and What is it Used for?
Xeljanz is a drug produced by Pfizer that was approved by the FDA in 2012. The drug was approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis for those with moderate to severe symptoms.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is a disease that affects over 50 million people in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 350 million people throughout the world suffer from the condition. While it is difficult to get an exact number for how many people take Xeljanz for arthritis, it is reasonable to assume that many, many people are taking the drug—and many of them may not be aware of the risks it poses for sepsis.
What Happened to Marilyn Stube After Taking Xeljanz?
When Marilyn Stube's doctor prescribed her Xeljanz for her rheumatoid arthritis, neither of them had any idea that the drug carried the risk of causing sepsis. In fact, according to the complaint filed by the plaintiff, her doctor has signed a sworn declaration stating that if he had been aware of the risks posed by Xeljanz, he would have never prescribed her the medication.
Her doctor would have known about the risks if Pfizer had used the same label for the drug that is used in other countries like the EU and Canada. But Pfizer avoided using the same label in the U.S. Because of the lack of warning provided by Pfizer, Marilyn Stube's doctor prescribed her Xeljanz and she took it for the next four years.
In March 2017, after four years of taking Xeljanz, Marylin Stube began to experience symptoms that included pain, nausea, and fever. Just a month later, in April of 2017, her health care provider diagnosed her with septic shock. Along with septic shock, she was also diagnosed with multiple organ failure, Group A Streptococcus, and gangrene. The damage was so severe that surgeons had to amputate her arms and her legs.
Although the lawsuit does not lay out the details of what happened after, it is reasonable to assume that she contacted an attorney, or an attorney contacted her. They discovered that sepsis was included on the warning labels of Xeljanz in other countries. The lawsuit claims that the drug carries an increased risk to women, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions when they take the drug over a long period of time—just like Marilyn Stube did.
How was Pfizer Negligent in Warnings Placed on Xeljanz?
The claims of negligence made by the lawsuit include the fact that Pfizer did not maintain consistency with its labels across the different countries where it sold the drug—particularly the way that the labels in the U.S. were not the same as they were in the European Union and other countries.
The lawsuit does get into more detail about the specific ways that Pfizer made mistakes that were likely well-understood by the company. For one, Pfizer sold another drug for arthritis known as Enbrel that included a warning for sepsis on the label. For another, the first application the company submitted to the European Union for Xeljanz was denied by the EU government. The application was rejected for several reasons, one of them being the fact that the label for the drug did not include a warning for sepsis.
Marilyn Stube and her legal representation also claim that Pfizer was aware of the risk of sepsis and resulting amputation from clinical trials. When conducting trials that they would use as part of their FDA application, the lawsuit claims that Pfizer avoided including those that had pre-existing infections—the kind of patients that would be more likely to get sepsis while taking the drug.
Xeljanz, Sepsis, and You
Whether Marilyn Stube's lawsuit will be successful or not remains to be seen. The fact that Pfizer did not use the same labels in the U.S. as it did in other countries does not bode well for Pfizer's defense.
Contact Our Xeljanz Amputation & Sepsis Lawyers Today
If you or someone you know has been taking Xeljanz and developed sepsis, you should speak to an attorney. The team at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can help you determine if you have a case, and we can help you move forward with that case. We can work together with you to hold Pfizer responsible for your injuries. Please contact us now to get started.
Xelijanz Sepsis & Amputation Resources
What is sepsis?
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Xeljanz Sepsis & Amputation Attorneys :: Xeljanz Amputation Lawsuit :: Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC

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Ghanshyam Tiwari (born 29 June 1979) is an Indian politician and the current National Spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party. He served as the advisor to the JD (U) government in Bihar from 2010 to 2015. In 2019, Ghanshyam contested the Lok Sabha constituency of Karakat in the general election. The seat was won by Mahabali Singh.

Early life and education
The son of an Air Force officer, Ghanshyam was born in 1979 in Andhra Pradesh. He travelled across India in his childhood and later went abroad for higher studies. Hailing originally from Gorari village in Bihar's Rohtas district, he was schooled at various Kendriya Vidyalaya, then obtained his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at NIT Surathkal. Ghanshyam did an executive management program at IIM Bangalore in 2005. He completed an MBA degree from Kellogg School of Management in 2011. At Harvard Kennedy School he earned a master's degree in public administration and public policy.

Political career
 2010–2016: Ghanshyam was Janata Dal (United) Bihar unit's chief's advisor from 2010 to 2015. He was also the communication advisor to the CM and party spokesperson until 2016.
 2017–present: National Spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party

Professional career
Ghanshyam has worked with global organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Intel and McKinsey & Company.

See also
 Suresh Tiwari
 Anurag Bhadouria
 K. C. Tyagi

References

External links
 Chief Minister's office
 Government of Uttar Pradesh
 Official website of Samajwadi Party

Samajwadi Party politicians

National Institutes of Technology alumni
Kellogg School of Management alumni
Harvard Kennedy School alumni
1979 births
Living people
Janata Dal (United) politicians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: Introducing seasonality to an ARIMA model in R Using the forecast package, I am constructing a dynamic regression / ARIMA model to use X to predict Y (data below).  Here is my model:
fit <-auto.arima(y,xreg=x,seasonal=c(0,1,1)[4])
summary(fit)

Question - I'm not sure I am using the seasonal portion of code correctly:
seasonal=c(0,1,1)[4]

I see no difference in the forecasts using the above seasonality code and not including the seasonality code at all.
Question: How do I specify seasonality in this instance?  Is there a way the arima code can automatically detect correct seasonality and specify it in code?
Data:
qtrs     y         x
1Q14    41.7    16963482
2Q14    26      8857757
3Q14    22.4    6308120
4Q14    17.6    4872037
1Q15    47.7    20304915
2Q15    30.7    8800350
3Q15    25.6    8065914
4Q15    17.4    8.41E+06
1Q16    59.4    39076150
2Q16    35.6    23348752
3Q16    33.5    26721456
4Q16    23.9    17934787
1Q17    81.7    65821538
2Q17    44.8    35845803
3Q17    42.1    34753415
4Q17    28.5    21449909
1Q18    90      84207978

or also
> dput(y)
c(41.7, 26, 22.4, 17.6, 47.7, 30.7, 25.6, 17.4, 59.4, 35.6, 33.5,
23.9, 81.7, 44.8, 42.1)
dput(x)
c(16963482, 8857757, 6308120, 4872037, 20304915, 8800350, 8065914,
8410000, 39076150, 23348752, 26721456, 17934787, 65821538, 35845803,
34753415)

When I use:
   fit <-auto.arima(y,xreg=x,seasonal=True)

it returns:
  summary(fit)
  Series: y
  Regression with ARIMA(0,1,0) errors

 Coefficients:
      x
  0e+00
  s.e.  3e-04

  sigma^2 estimated as 24.53:  log likelihood=-41.75
  AIC=87.49   AICc=88.58   BIC=88.77

  Training set error measures:
                ME     RMSE      MAE      MPE     MAPE      MASE       ACF1
  Training set -1.521487 4.611119 3.659424 -7.34176 12.28209 0.1975017 -0.2619158

But when I use the below, it returns the same as above.
     fit <-auto.arima(y,xreg=x,seasonal=c(0,1,1)[4])
Why is there no seasonal variables in this model when there clearly is seasonality?  Why no difference in the two models (seasonality specified and not specified)?

A: The seasonal parameter expects a simple Boolean input (see ?auto.arima). What you are providing is c(0,1,1)[4], which happens to be a well-formed R expression, namely the fourth entry in the vector c(0,1,1) of length three, or
c(0,1,1)[4]
# NA

And this NA is then coerced to a Boolean value, namely
isTRUE(NA)
# FALSE

So what you did was an elaborate way of specifying a non-seasonal model. Try seasonal=TRUE instead.
(And don't be surprised if the automatic model selection decides to use a non-seasonal model, anyway. If you want to force seasonality, this may be helpful: Seasonality not taken account of in auto.arima().)

EDIT: with the data you posted, the first thing to notice is that x and y are vectors, not time series objects with an associated seasonal frequency. As above, auto.arima does not derive the seasonal period from the seasonal parameter (which is supposed to be, and will be coerced to, a simple Boolean), but from the frequency of the focal time series. So the first thing to do is to identify your quarterly data as such:
y <- ts(c(41.7, 26, 22.4, 17.6, 47.7, 30.7, 25.6, 17.4, 59.4, 35.6, 33.5,
  23.9, 81.7, 44.8, 42.1), frequency=4)
x <- ts(c(16963482, 8857757, 6308120, 4872037, 20304915, 8800350, 8065914,
  8410000, 39076150, 23348752, 26721456, 17934787, 65821538, 35845803,
  34753415),frequency=4)

Next, even if your y is seasonal, this does not necessarily matter. auto.arima() with an xreg parameter fits a regression with ARIMA errors (not ARIMAX), so what matters is the seasonality of the residuals of this regression of y on x. Fortunately, these residuals are also clearly seasonal, as are their first differences (note how we again need to convert the residuals to ts objects):
library(forecast)
seasonplot(ts(residuals(lm(y~x)),frequency=4))
seasonplot(ts(diff(residuals(lm(y~x))),frequency=4))

Interestingly enough, auto.arima() fits a non-seasonal model, as you noticed, even if we don't specify seasonal=FALSE. Then again, if we call auto.arima() on the residuals from the regression y~x, we get a seasonal model, and so do we if we run auto.arima(y,xreg=x,D=1) with enforced seasonality as per this thread - but the seasonal models are different.
> auto.arima(y,xreg=x)
Series: y
Regression with ARIMA(0,1,0) errors

Coefficients:
       xreg
      0e+00
s.e.  3e-04

sigma^2 estimated as 24.53:  log likelihood=-41.75
AIC=87.49   AICc=88.58   BIC=88.77

> auto.arima(ts(residuals(lm(y~x)),frequency=4))
Series: ts(residuals(lm(y ~ x)), frequency = 4)
ARIMA(0,1,0)(1,0,0)[4]

Coefficients:
        sar1
      0.9074
s.e.  0.0694

sigma^2 estimated as 12.65:  log likelihood=-40.58
AIC=85.16   AICc=86.25   BIC=86.44

> auto.arima(y,xreg=x,D=1)
Series: y
Regression with ARIMA(0,0,0)(0,1,0)[4] errors

Coefficients:
       xreg
      0e+00
s.e.  3e-04

sigma^2 estimated as 12.29:  log likelihood=-28.88
AIC=61.76   AICc=63.26   BIC=62.56

Overall, it looks like there is something undocumented going on here - auto.arima() may by default not use seasonal models if there is an xreg present. You may want to ping the author Rob Hyndman about this (best to point him to this thread, he may chime in). Similarly, that the last two calls resulted in different ARIMA models may be due to internals of auto.arima().
It looks like your best bet may be to run the regression outside auto.arima() and then subject the residuals to ARIMA modeling, as I did here. Alternatively, if you can identify whether your residual series is seasonal or not, you can enforce seasonality using D as above.

A: Are you sure that's the best seasonal set-up? What I mean is that if you use auto.arima to find the "best" model, you might as use it to find the best seasonal configuration as well? If you leave it out, auto.arima will test automatically for seasonality

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Most Rev. Antonio Buenafe, S.V.D., D.D.
Most Rev. Federico O. Escaler, S.J., D.D.
Most Rev. Generoso C. Camiña, P.M.E., D.D.
Most Rev. Warlito Cajandig y Itcuas, D.D.
Most Rev. Rolando Joven Tria Tirona, D.D.
Most Rev. José Paala Salazar O.P., D.D.
Most Rev. José Corazón Tumbagahan Tala-oc, D.D.
Jaime Lachica Sin DD, PLH, OS, OL (Chinese: 辛海梅; 辛海棉 Xīn Hǎiméi; Xīn Hǎimián; Latin: Iacomus Sin; August 31, 1928 – June 21, 2005) was the 30th Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila, and was also a Cardinal.
Sin was born into a wealthy family in New Washington, Aklan, Philippines to Juan Sin (of Chinese ancestry) and Aklanon Máxima Lachica. He was the seventh of sixteen children. He eventually left his childhood home and his family to study in St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Jaro on April 3, 1954. He was the first rector of St. Pius X Seminary in Lawaan Hills, Roxas City, Capiz, serving from 1957 to 1967. On February 29, 1960, he was named Domestic Prelate (present-day, honorary prelate with the title of Monsignor. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Jaro on February 10, 1967, and was consecrated bishop of the titular see of Obba on March 18 of that year. On March 15, 1972, Sin was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Jaro, taking on administrative roles in the archdiocese, while holding the titular see of Massa Lubrense. On October 8, 1972, Sin was appointed Archbishop of Jaro, taking full supervision of the archdiocese.
Sin's service as Archbishop of Jaro ended with his appointment on January 21, 1974 to the larger archdiocese seated in the national capital of Manila. Sin was initially reluctant to take on the role of leader of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. He was officially installed as Archbishop of Manila at Manila Cathedral on March 19, 1974, making him only the third native Filipino in the office after centuries of Spanish, American and Irish archbishops.
On May 24, 1976, Pope Paul VI made him a member of the College of Cardinals, creating him Cardinal Priest of the titular church of Santa Maria ai Monti. He participated as a cardinal-elector in both the August and October papal conclaves which elected Popes John Paul I and John Paul II respectively. In the August conclave, he reportedly told Albino Luciani, "You will be the new pope". After Luciani was elected as John Paul I, Cardinal Sin paid him homage, and the new pope said: "You were a prophet, but my reign will be a short one". He remained the youngest member of the College until 1983.
His title and surname as Cardinal Sin (another term for a deadly sin) were a point of humour in the Philippines and for Filipino Catholics. Examples included "The greatest sin of all: Cardinal Sin", and even his own pun of "Welcome to the house of Sin" that he used to greet guests at Villa San Miguel, the Archbishop's palace in Mandaluyong.
As a predominantly Catholic country, issues in the Philippines have and are influenced by the Church in varying degrees. Condom usage has historically been a controversial topic. As the reigning Archbishop of Manila in 1996, when the government distributed condoms to curb HIV infection rates, Sin called the programme as "intrinsically evil", in line with Church teaching on the matter. Sin also denounced then-Health Secretary, Juan Flavier, with some asserting that the latter's condom-promotion had made him an unwitting agent of Satan. Prominent Catholics also protested against the government's condom-distribution programme by publicly burning boxes of condoms.
Events in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos forced Sin, the spiritual leader of Filipino Catholics, to become involved in politics. He became witness to corruption, fraud, and even murder by the regime and rising popular discontent with the dictatorial rule of Marcos and his wife, Imelda. Within six months of his appointment as Archbishop, Sin was criticising the authorities after the military raided a Manila seminary on the grounds that it was harbouring insurgents. Sin appealed to Filipinos of all religions to follow the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels and use peaceful means to change the political situation in the Philippines.
Beginning in the 1970s, Cardinal Sin, a moderate, was among the leaders who publicly pressured President Marcos to end martial law, out of concern that leftist radicals would overthrow the government. Sin eventually decided to speak out in support of Corazon Aquino, the widow of the assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr., in calling for an end to martial law. This led to massive popular demonstrations, often led by nuns whom riot police dared not attack. In February 1986, he called on Filipinos to surround the police and military headquarters in Manila to protect then-military Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos, who had broken with Mr. Marcos. More than 1 million people took to the streets praying the rosary and singing hymns in an outpouring that shielded anti-government rebels from attack. Some soldiers decided to join the marchers.
In what later became known as the People Power Revolution, Marcos, his family, and close advisors were forced to flee the Philippines and took up residence in Honolulu, Hawaii upon the invitation of U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Cardinal Sin, along with presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, became known to Filipinos as the architects of the People Power Movement.
Sin decided to intervene again, in 2001, to become spiritual leader of another People Power Movement. Some Filipinos alleged that president Joseph Estrada was guilty of widespread corruption and graft because of the controversial "second envelope". Poor people marching in the streets, with the support of Sin, the elite and military generals, succeeded in toppling Estrada from power and elevating Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as acting president in what was perceived by the international community as a triumphant democracy. The "second envelope" was opened after the coup and turned out to be Estrada's bank account. Commenting on the endemic corruption that persisted after Marcos, Sin said, "We got rid of Ali Baba, but the 40 thieves remained." It was reported that the cardinal's actions caused uneasiness at the Vatican and that he was summoned to Rome to explain himself.
Hours before hundreds of soldiers and officers staged a failed revolt against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in July 2003, he urged Filipinos to be vigilant against groups plotting to violently overturn the country's democratic institutions.
Two and a half years after Sin's death, it was reported that at the height of EDSA II, Sin received a directive from the Vatican ordering him and the Philippine clergy to adopt a non-partisan stance towards the political crisis. Sin, who by then had committed support for the EDSA II revolt, was said to have threatened to resign as archbishop if compelled to withdraw his support. The standoff was reportedly resolved with the mediation of the then Supreme Court Associate Justice Artemio Panganiban (later, Chief Justice of the Philippines), a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, a department of the Roman Curia. As a result, the Vatican did not insist upon its earlier demand. The reports were attributed to persons reputed to have first-hand knowledge of the events, but there has been no official confirmation of them from the Vatican or from the Archdiocese of Manila.
He retired as the Archbishop of Manila on September 15, 2003 and was succeeded by Gaudencio Borbon Rosales. He was too ill to travel to the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Afflicted for years with a kidney ailment brought on by diabetes, he was taken on June 19, 2005 to the Cardinal Rufino Santos Medical Center in San Juan, Metro Manila because of a slight but lingering fever. He died of renal failure on June 21, 2005 at the age of 76. The government accorded him the honour of a state funeral and a period of national mourning through Presidential Proclamation № 863, s. 2005 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was buried beside his three immediate predecessors in the crypt of Manila Cathedral, after a funeral there attended by thousands of Filipinos.
Most Rev. Juan Velasco, O.P., D.D.
Sin was decorated three times by the Philippine government. The first time was by president Corazon C. Aquino, who conferred him with the Philippine Legion of Honor, rank of Chief Commander; the second, by president Joseph Estrada, who conferred on him the Order of Sikatuna, rank of Rajah; the final time was shortly after his retirement, when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred on him the Order of Lakandula, rank of Bayani (Grand Cross).
Sin also received 26 honorary doctorates in various fields from higher education institutions in the Philippines and abroad (mostly from notable universities in the United States of America), among which are the Brandeis University and Boston College.
^ a b "Modern Heroes of the Church - Leo Knowles". Google Books. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
^ Engel, Jonathan (2006). The epidemic : a global history of AIDS. New York: Smithsonian Books/Collins. p. 262.
^ a b Shenon, Philip (January 21, 1996). "DEADLY TURNING POINT: A special report.;AIDS Epidemic, Late to Arrive, Now Explodes in Populous Asia – Page 7 – New York Times".
^ McIntosh, Alistair (January 4, 1995). "Philippines: Manila Health Minister an Unlikely Agent of Satan". Reuters NewMedia. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
^ a b c d Labog-Javellana, Juliet (January 21, 2008). "Sin opposed Vatican order, pushed Edsa II".
O'Donnell, Michelle (June 21, 2005). "Cardinal Jaime Sin, a Champion of the Poor in the Philippines, Is Dead at 76".
"Philippine Cardinal Jaime L. Sin Dies at 76". Washington Post Retrieved 2011-09-18.


This year, D'Feet Breast Cancer, Inc., and UTMB are joining forces to help Susan G Komen Houston better serve the women of Galveston County.  The event will be held this Saturday, October 6, 2018, at 1000 Bagby Street in Houston.
Together, we are fueling the best science, boldest community and biggest impact in the fight against breast cancer. And we will not stop until this disease is gone forever. That's our promise!
Will you please join us in this fight by joining our team and/or making a donation today?
If you want to donate to the team you can go directly to that link, select a team member to donate to and follow the instructions to complete the donation.
If you want to join the team either by registering to walk or by registering to sleep in you should go to the same link and scroll down and click the pink JOIN OUR TEAM button just below the donation window. Komen has a new site this year so even if you have participated before you should answer "no" to the question about previous participation. Then complete the remainder of the registration as instructed on the website.
Let's say thank you to Susan G Komen Houston for the generous support they have given us over the years!!!
The 17th Annual D'Feet Breast Cancer's Celebration of Life Race was a success! Thank you to all of our participants, volunteers, and sponsors for making the event possible.
These features are available only for persons who register for the "timed 5K"- regardless if you walk or run and for the kids 1k.
results kiosks – type in your bib number and see your results!
TRAINING PLANS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!!!
Suggested programs are for informational purposes only. Always consult a physician before performing this or any exercise program. It is your responsibility to evaluate your own medical and physical condition, and to independently determine whether to perform, use or adapt any of the information or content on this web site. Any exercise program may result in injury. By voluntarily undertaking any exercise displayed on this web site, you assume the risk of any resulting injury.
CLICK HERE FOR D'FEET BREAST CANCER 2016 RACE RESULTS!
If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for D'Feet, please call D'Feet at (409)-771-5574. Please allow up to 48 hours for our reply.
D'Feet Breast Cancer, Inc. is a grassroots volunteer non-profit 501 C3 formed in 2000. D'Feet partners with the Galveston County Health District, UTMB Galveston, Victory Breast Imaging and Women's Diagnostic Center, Mainland Medical Center, and The Jesse Tree to provide healthcare services to uninsured and undeserved women of Galveston County ages 40-64. D'Feet provides free screening mammograms, free follow up care, community outreach, and breast health education programs in the Galveston County Schools.
This program is supported in part by a grant from Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Additional much needed funding is through the generous support of many local donors like YOU.
There is no other program like this, for all money raised here stays here in Galveston County and is used to fund the D'Feet Breast Cancer, Inc. free screening mammography and follow up care program for Galveston County women who qualify.


Here's the scoop: this is my 4th year attending the ginormous WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) event that happens annually in Vegas. And what a place to have 16,000+ people with cameras, right?
I'm busy attending classes to improve my business/marketing skills, classes to improve my camera technique, and classes to simply INSPIRE me as an artist. I'm busy walking the massive tradeshow floor (that in past years has taken me TWO days to get through since there is so much to see). I'm busy visiting with current vendors and searching out new ones to make sure I'm offering you the BEST I possibly can. I'm busy networking and swapping stories with other photographers.
How can I be so sure, since this post was actually written/scheduled ahead of time? Just check out my WPPI experiences from 2010 and 2011. Based on these past experiences, you can be sure that I'm having a BLAST.
You can also bet that I'm taking lots of pictures, so I'll be sharing lost more when I get back. In the meantime, be sure to like my facebook page and/or follow me on twitter so you can see pieces of my adventure as it happens.


An excavator is any person proposing or engaging in digging or demolition work. This includes property owners, tenants, farmers, and professional contractors. Excavators are responsible for ensuring that pipelines and other underground facilities are not damaged when digging.
Excavation damage is a leading cause of significant pipeline accidents, resulting in property damage, injuries, and fatalities. Severe excavation damage results in an immediate release, while less severe damage can weaken a pipe and contribute to a future pipeline failure.
Whether excavating with a shovel or a four-ton backhoe — damage prevention must be a top priority. Anyone who excavates or digs must contact their state's One-Call system so that underground facilities can be located before excavation begins.
All states have damage prevention laws and may involve fines and penalties for noncompliance. Some states still allow exemption for certain excavators from One-Call requirements. Eliminating these exemptions is one of PHMSA's top priorities.
Learn more about what excavators can do to promote pipeline safety by understanding the information on this website and using 811.
Best Practices - In 1999, the OPS sponsored the Common Ground Study to develop "Best Practices" for preventing damage to pipelines and other underground facilities.
A CGA committee ensures the Best Practices are updated to reflect new technology and practices.
Dig Safely - This educational campaign stresses damage prevention by encouraging excavators to participate in one-call programs. A CGA committee continues to develop educational materials for use in communities, work sites, and public forums.
Check out Locating Unlimited—Staking University Utility Locator Online Training available here: http://locating-u.com.


Department of Agriculture feeding trials with grazing sheep have consistently shown that the level of supplementation should be set for survival and little more, because beyond that the additional costs of supplementary feeding usually outstrip the benefits from extra production.
Even sheep in the greatest need - autumn lambing ewes in late pregnancy and the early part of lactation before and during the break of season - can be fed less than was thought necessary to achieve acceptable production.
Beetson, B R. (1986) "Feed for autumn lambing ewes," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 27 : No. 2 , Article 10.


text:
Bass Pro CEO talks to Cabela's workers about future
Bass Pro Shops' CEO has told Cabela's employees that he won't plant false hopes about their jobs after his company completes its purchase of Cabela's but repeated earlier statements that some operations will stay in Sidney.Last week's $4.5 billion deal to sell Cabela's has raised questions about the roughly 2,000 people the company employs at its Sidney headquarters. The combined headquarters will be in Springfield, Missouri.Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris told about Cabela's 250 employees at a Sidney meeting Tuesday that there will be some "slimming down" but also said "important, significant jobs" will remain there. He didn't provide details. A company spokesman said Wednesday that he couldn't provide any either.The company has committed to keeping open Cabela's call centers in Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte.
SIDNEY, Neb. —
Bass Pro Shops' CEO has told Cabela's employees that he won't plant false hopes about their jobs after his company completes its purchase of Cabela's but repeated earlier statements that some operations will stay in Sidney.
Last week's $4.5 billion deal to sell Cabela's has raised questions about the roughly 2,000 people the company employs at its Sidney headquarters. The combined headquarters will be in Springfield, Missouri.
Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris told about Cabela's 250 employees at a Sidney meeting Tuesday that there will be some "slimming down" but also said "important, significant jobs" will remain there. He didn't provide details. A company spokesman said Wednesday that he couldn't provide any either.
The company has committed to keeping open Cabela's call centers in Grand Island, Kearney and North Platte.


text:
Nowe Brzesko  is a town in Proszowice County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Nowe Brzesko. It lies approximately  south-east of Proszowice and  east of the regional capital Kraków. According to 2011 official census Nowe Brzesko has population of 1662. It gained town rights in 1279, but lost that status in 1870 by decree of the Russian tsar. It became a town again on 1 January 2011.

Nowe Brzesko was first mentioned in the first half of the 13th century. The village belonged to the Bishops of Kraków, who handed it to the Norbertine abbey from nearby Hebdów. On October 6, 1279, it became a town, and its first known wójt was Gotfryd, the son of Arnold from Ślesin in Greater Poland. Due to several privileges, the town quickly developed, but in the first half of the 15th century it declined, due to a catastrophic flood of the Vistula (1442). Furthermore, in 1444-45 it was ransacked by the unpaid royal soldiers, returning to Poland after the defeat in the Battle of Varna. As a result, Nowe Brzesko, while still a town, did not differ from local villages. Artisans were few, and fairs were not organized. In 1522, King Zygmunt Stary ordered local authorities to mark boundaries of Nowe Brzesko, and create a street system, together with a market place. Town's residents were in constant conflict with abbots from Hebdów, who tried to get rid of their privileges.

In the late 16th century, the population of Nowe Brzesko was app. 1,000. The town slowly developed, but wars of the mid-17th century (see Swedish invasion of Poland) completely destroyed it and decimated the population. Polish, Swedish, Tatar and Transilvanian soldiers stayed here, robbing and stealing. Poverty and hunger were common, and the population declined by 50%. Furthermore, conflicts with the Hebdów abbots did not end, and residents of the town were forced to work for the abbey (see Serfdom). In 1761, a group of inhabitants rebelled against the authority of the abbot, and asked King Stanisław August Poniatowski to support them.

In the late 18th century (see Partitions of Poland), Nowe Brzesko was annexed by the Austrian Empire
(1795). In 1815, it became part of the Russian-controlled Congress Poland. In 1818, the abbey was dissolved, and the town, with its 151 houses and 900 residents, became state property. Located away from main roads, near the border with Austrian Galicia, the town lost its charter in 1869, becoming a village. In the Second Polish Republic, it belonged to Kielce Voivodeship. Nowe Brzesko once again became a town in 2011.

External links
 Jewish Community in Nowe Brzesko on Virtual Shtetl

References

Cities and towns in Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Proszowice County
Kraków Voivodeship (14th century – 1795)
Kielce Governorate
Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)


Surtsey ($84.10) stalked in third on the backstretch, then dropped to fourth on the turn, while Akron Moon set quick fractions in the one-mile turf route. Surtsey commenced a wide rally exiting the turn, then mowed down the leaders nearing the eighth pole before drawing clear for a 2 1/4-length tally in 1:33.80 over firm ground.
Trained by Kevin Attard, Surtsey earned $90,000 for owner Yvonne Schwabe, who bred the winner of last Sunday's Queen's Plate, Midnight Aria.
Adventure At Sea finished second at 11-1, and the favored Dance Again was a prominent third in the field of seven Ontario-breds.


With this mod you can monetize the posting on your forum, put a price to post new topics!
Con este mod podra monetizar su sitio, solo debe ponerle un precio a la creacion de nuevos temas!
Use Paypal API to make it more secure payments possible.
history of all payments made with important information about each payment.
Order registration by Subject , Date, User.
Pagination, you may set the number of records to show per page .
Approve the topics being administrator save history.
Redirect to paypal afteer create a topic, the user can return to the forum if they don't want to pay at the time.
Utiliza el API de paypal para hacer los pagos lo mas seguros posibles.
Historial de todos los pagos realizados con informacion importante acerca de cada pago.
Ordenar el registro por Tema, fecha, Usuario.
Paginacion, usted podra configurar el numero de registros a mostrar por pagina.
Aprobar los temas siendo administrador guardarlo en el historial.
Direccionamiento hacia paypal al crear el tema, el usuario puede volver al foro si no desea pagar en ese momento.
Page created in 0.237 seconds with 26 queries.


Home Repair Forum > Catch All > When All Else Fails, You Gotta Laugh!
View Full Version : When All Else Fails, You Gotta Laugh!
How Long Do You Want It?
Over Sea's Service dept.s defenetly not "Old School".
Icicles on the south Texas gulf coast!


The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet that rose to the top of pop and R & B charts with such number-one hits as "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There." The group was the main male vocal group for the Motown songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted the Four Tops stream of hit singles in the mid to late 1960s.
After founding the group in Detroit, Michigan, as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, but were finally forced to endure a lineup change when Payton died in 1997. Theo Peoples was then added to the group, later replacing Stubbs, who fell ill from a stroke, on lead vocals.
The Four Tops were notable for having a baritone, namely Levi Stubbs, as their lead singer. Stubbs' gospel-oriented vocals pushed the limits of his range and helped create the group's characteristic combination of raw emotion mixed with slick sophistication and grace. The Four Tops had 24 Top-40 hits over their career and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
All four members of the group began their careers together while they were high school students in Detroit. At the insistence of their friends, Pershing High students Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir performed with Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton from Northern High at a local birthday party. The quartet decided to remain together and christened themselves The Four Aims. With the help of Payton's songwriter cousin, Roquel Davis, The Aims signed with Chess Records in 1956, changing their name to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with The Ames Brothers.
Over the next seven years, The Four Tops endured unsuccessful tenures at Chess, Red Top, Riverside Records, and Columbia. Without any hit records to their name, The Tops toured frequently, developing a polished stage presence and an experienced supper-club act. In 1963, Berry Gordy, Jr., who had worked with Roquel Davis as a songwriter in the late-1950s, convinced The Tops to join the roster of his growing Motown record company.
The Hitsville U.S.A. building in Detroit, Michigan, which served as Motown's headquarters from 1959 until 1968.
During their early Motown years, the Four Tops recorded jazz standards for the company's Workshop label. They also sang backup for Motown headliners such as The Supremes.
Their big break came in 1964, when Motown's main songwriting/production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland created a complete instrumental track without a clear idea of what to do with it. They decided to craft it into a mainstream pop song for the Four Tops and proceeded to create, "Baby I Need Your Loving" from the wordless instrumental track. Upon its mid-1964 release, "Baby I Need Your Loving" made it to number 11 on the Billboard U.S. pop charts. It did better, however, on trend-setting radio stations in key U.S. markets. It was a strong top-10 hit on both WMCA in New York and WKNR in Detroit, stations known to radio industry people all over the country for promoting hot new artists and songs.
After the single's success, The Tops were pulled away from their jazz material and began recording more records in the R & B and pop vein. However, their first follow-up single, "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)," missed both the pop and R & B Top 40 charts. "Ask the Lonely," released early in 1965, was a Top 30 pop hit and a Top 10 R & B hit. From that point on, the Tops' fortunes began to improve dramatically.
The Four Tops scored their first Number One hit, the often-covered and revived "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)," in April 1965. This launched a long series of successful hit singles. Among the first wave of these hits were "It's the Same Old Song," "Something About You," "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)," and "Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever." Four Tops' records often represented the epitome of the Motown Sound: Simple distinctive melodies and rhymes, call-and-response lyrics, and the musical contributions of the The Funk Brothers background instrumentals, notably the prominent creative bass lines by James Jamerson.
Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote most of Levi Stubbs' vocals in a tenor range, near the top of his range, in order to get a sense of strained urgency in his gospel preacher-inspired leads. They also used additional background vocals from female background vocalists, The Andantes on many of these songs to add a high end to the low-voiced harmony of The Tops.
August 1966 brought the release of the Tops' biggest hit, and one of the most popular Motown songs ever: "Reach Out I'll Be There," which hit Number One on the U.S. pop charts and soon became The Tops' signature song. It was almost immediately followed by "Standing in the Shadows of Love," a similar sounding song, but whose depictions of heartbreak reflected the polar opposite of the optimism expressed in "Reach Out." It was another Top 10 hit for the Tops.
Another major U.S. hit, "Bernadette," continued the Four Tops' successful run in February 1967, followed by the Top 20 hits "7-Rooms of Gloom" and "You Keep Running Away." By now, The Tops were the most successful male Motown act in the United Kingdom and were second only to The Temptations) in the U.S. They also began experimenting with more mainstream pop hits virtually unrelated to their R & B roots. The Tops scored hits with their versions of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter" in late 1967 and the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée" in early 1968. These singles, together with "I'm In a Different World," were their last hits produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, who left Motown in 1967 after disputes with Berry Gordy over royalties and ownership of company shares.
Without Holland-Dozier-Holland, the quality of the Four Tops' output, like that of most of Motown, began to decline, and hits became less frequent. The group worked with a wide array of Motown producers during the late-1960s, including Ivy Hunter, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Norman Whitfield, and Johnny Bristol, without significant chart success.
The Tops' first hit single in several years came in the form of 1970s "It's All in the Game," produced by Frank Wilson. Wilson and The Tops began working on a number of innovative tracks and albums together, echoing the psychedelic soul work of The Temptations. The Tops' 1970 album Still Waters Run Deep, an early example of the concept album, served as an inspiration for Marvin Gaye's 1971 classic album, What's Going On. The title track of Gaye's album was co-written by The Tops' Obie Benson.
In addition to recording their own albums, The Tops were paired with The Supremes, who had just replaced lead singer Diana Ross with Jean Terrell, for a series of albums billed under the joint title The Magnificent Seven. While the albums themselves did not do well on their charts, The Magnificent Seven featured a Top 20 version of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep—Mountain High," produced by Ashford & Simpson.
The 1971, single "A Simple Game" featured backing vocals from members of The Moody Blues. The song did not fare well on the U.S. charts, but reached number three on the UK charts.
The Motown company began to change in a number of ways during the early 1970s. Older acts such as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and The Marvelettes were being slowly pushed aside to focus on newer acts such as The Jackson 5, Rare Earth, Michael Jackson, and the now-solo Diana Ross. In addition, the company was moving many of its operations from Detroit to Los Angeles, California, where Berry Gordy planned to break into the motion picture and television industries. In 1972, it was announced that the entire company would move to Los Angeles, and that all its artists had to move as well. Many of the older Motown acts, already neglected by the label, opted to stay in Detroit, including The Funk Brothers backing band, Martha Reeves, and the Four Tops.
The Tops departed Motown for ABC-Dunhill. There, "Keeper of the Castle" became their first pop top-10 hit since "Bernadette" in 1967. Follow-ups such as "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," "Sweet Understanding Love," "Midnight Flower," and "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" hit the R & B Top Ten between 1972 and 1974. However, by the time of the release of "Catfish" in 1976, the hits had dried up again. The group disappeared into obscurity in the late-1970s. Scoring a deal with Casablanca Records in 1980, the Tops made a brief comeback in 1981 with the Number One R & B hit "When She Was My Girl."
By 1983, The Tops had rejoined Motown and were featured on the company's television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. One of the highlights of the show was a battle-of-the-bands between The Tops and The Temptations, patterned after similar competitions Berry Gordy had staged during the 1960s. Levi Stubbs and Temptation Otis Williams decided the Temptations/Tops "battle" would be a good one to take on the road, and both groups began a semi-regular joint tour, which has continued through 2007 and beyond.
Since the late-1980s, the Four Tops have focused on touring and live performances, only recording one album, 1995's Christmas Here With You, released on Motown. On June 20, 1997, 59-year-old Lawrence Payton died as a result of liver cancer, after singing for 44 years with the Four Tops. The group, unlike many Motown acts, never had a single lineup change until then. At first, Levi Stubbs, Obie Benson, and Duke Fakir continued to tour as a trio called The Tops. In 1998, they recruited former Temptation Theo Peoples to join the act to restore the group to a quartet. By the turn of the century, Stubbs had become ill from cancer; Ronnie McNair was recruited to fill in the Lawrence Payton position, and Peoples stepped into Stubbs' shoes as lead singer.
On October 1, 1988, the Four Tops reached the Top 40 for the twenty-fourth and final time with "Indestructible." NBC-TV used the song as a theme for its coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, with Stevie Wonder as their presenter. On February 20, 1997, the Tops received the Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement at the eighth annual Rhythm & Blues Foundation dinner in New York. They joined into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the Tops #79 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
↑ Rolling Stone, The Immortals: The First Fifty. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
Abbott (ed.). Calling Out Around the World: A Motown Reader. London: Helter Skelter, 2000. ISBN 978-1900924146.
Pascall, Jeremy, and Rob Burt. The Stars and Superstars of Black Music. Secaucus, N.J.: Chartwell Books, 1977.
Rubiner, Julia M. Contemporary Musicians: Vol. 11. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc. 1994. ISBN 978-0810385528.
This page was last modified on 20 April 2017, at 14:46.


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text:
Howling Abyss ( New ARAM Map + Match Making Queue ) now on PBE!
Posted on March 15, 2013 at 6:54 PM by Moobeat
THE NEWS JUST KEEPS ON COMING! Not only have we had more info on the Karma rework, Zac, and a new teaser ( which ties into this ) , but now we have details on a BRAND FREAKING NEW ARAM MAP and the announcement of an ARAM match making queue!
Continue reading for Bracknar's full announcement on the updated ARAM map, Howling Abyss.
"Hey Gang,
It's been a while since I first talked to you guys about making ARAM an official gameplay mode, and today I've got something awesome to share with you. For the past few months I've been working with an exceptional team of artists to create a space that's an appropriate setting for both the epic battles that occur in ARAM and within the world of Runeterra at large. As a result, we've completely reworked the Proving Grounds and, in effect, created something entirely new.
Now, instead of fighting on a random bridge over a black void, you'll be fighting on the Howling Abyss, an ancient landmark in Freljord where the Iceborn finally overthrew their oppressors and sent them tumbling into the chasm below. As you might have guessed from these mysterious journals, there's more (a lot more!) our story team would love to tell you Freljord – but for now, you'll have to wait.
Anyway, work is still ongoing on the map, and it's yet a few patches away from release but we just wanted to invite you guys in a bit earlier than normal to get your thoughts as we begin to polish it up. The environment team will be actively reading the forum and looking for your feedback, so please let us know what you think!
Additionally I wanted to let you guys know that we are actively working on an official matchmaking queue for ARAM and plan to launch it with the map when it's ready. The queue isn't currently enabled on PBE as there's still a good bit of tech work that needs to be resolved to handle the number of players on the environment, but we're fully committed to giving you guys the best experience that we can. So with that, check out the map and explore what we've created; who knows, maybe you'll even find some surprises!"
Brackhar also answered several questions
When asked if summoners will be able to use free to play champions in the new ARAM queue, he responded
"Own + free to play."
He also shared that draft mode will still be available in custom games, saying
"It'll be available as a custom game for any pick mode, but for now the queue will be random only."
Furthermore, he mentioned that champion select will also be blind random
"The current plan is to make it blind random so you won't see your opponents.'
Kilmourz also chimed in, noting that there will be new sounds and music!
"Yes there is new music and ambient sounds."
Regarding the fate of the Proving Grounds map, he says:
"The old Murder Bridge collapsed into the abyss from so many epic battles.... never to be seen again."
He also commented on the state of the current tutorial map, saying:
"Yes the tutorial will be updated and played on this map."
As far as the size of this new map, Kilzmourz says:
"We kept the lane width and length the exact same as ARAM\Proving Grounds but we did remove the step down stairs that lead to mid lane making the base to mid lane flat. The placement of the Nexus\Inhib\health packs and turrets is also the same as ARAM."
Furthermore, here are several Howling Abyss work in progress and concept arts shared by Rioters on the forums.


Okay, this seems ridiculous to a lot of people but I'm wondering. I have a 2006 G6 sedan with the 3500 lx9 but I broke a rod and it went right through the block and I don't feel like pouring money into a lost cause so I need a new engine. I've had people tell me to just get a new car or get the same engine but I don't want a new car because I love my car and don't want a new one and I used to have a newer g6 with the lz4 and I loved it, it had a smooth acceleration, great gas mileage, and it performed when I needed it to perform. I've done some research but the question I'm trying to answer isn't really talked about so that's the back story.
The question is, do the lx9 and lz4 have different components or are the engines exactly the same and I can swap the lx9 with the lz4 with no problem?
the lx9 was derived from the 3.4 and the lz4 was derived from the 3.9. Any time any engine swap is contemplated you need the matching engine wire harness and ecm at the very least. In this case the engine may not bolt up to the transmission if the bolt pattern is different plus unknown other problems. Not worth the headache of buying an engine that may not fit.
Try www.car-part.com to find a low mileage used engine with a warranty.
A "A" rating and a 90 day - 1 year warranty is what to look for on the site.
Try it out, I did for my Sunbird transmission and I didn't even install it for 8 months after purchase and its still working ,5 years later.


text:
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using Self = SpriteWithHsv;

Self* Self::create() {
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Self* Self::create(const std::string& filename) {
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}

Self* Self::create(const std::string& filename, const cocos2d::Rect& rect) {
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}

Self* Self::createWithTexture(cocos2d::Texture2D* texture) {
    return createInstance<Self>(
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}

Self* Self::createWithTexture(cocos2d::Texture2D* texture,
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Self* Self::createWithSpriteFrame(cocos2d::SpriteFrame* spriteFrame) {
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Self* Self::createWithSpriteFrameName(const std::string& spriteFrameName) {
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}

Self::SpriteWithHsv()
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bool Self::initWithTexture(cocos2d::Texture2D* texture,
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    initShader();
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}

void Self::initShader() {
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}

void Self::setGLProgramState(cocos2d::GLProgramState* glProgramState) {
#if COCOS2D_VERSION >= 0x00031400
    if (glProgramState != customState_) {
        return;
    }
#endif // COCOS2D_VERSION >= 0x00031400
    Super::setGLProgramState(glProgramState);
}

void Self::draw(cocos2d::Renderer* renderer, const cocos2d::Mat4& transform,
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    Super::draw(renderer, transform, flags);
}

bool SpriteWithHsv::updateMatrix() {
    if (HsvProtocol::updateMatrix()) {
        getGLProgramState()->setUniformMat4("u_hsv", getHsvMatrix());
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}
} // namespace ee

#endif // EE_X_COCOS_CPP

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Categories / Dance
Wayson POON
Hong Kong contemporary choreographer and dance artist Wayson Poon has worked in Europe and Asia as a choreographer, performer, researcher and educator. Due to the impacts of various cultures, his works have combined oriental spirit and western methodology, deciphered the essence of body from different aspects, studied the language of dance from several levels and brought out the harmonious chord in the vibration of many elements.
Poon dedicated himself to exploration of the meaning in his works and a variety of solo dance pieces in the context of contemporary dance. Notable works include Behind 3.0, Untitled, Fleeing by Night 2, in.visible (cities);, Vortex, etc. Poon recently received the Award for Young Artist (Dance) at the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2016.
onthewayson@gmail.com
In this work, dance and sound are intertwined in an abstract world where the essentials in one's daily life are felt. Human civilisation is constantly redefining what is legitimate or appropriate, when many of its preconceptions are rooted in ignorance. Humans, who have long been accustomed to constraints, have drifted away from their true selves. In this moment, can we contain the whole world in our enfolded existence, and open up the space for an expanding vortex or trajectory?
Photographer © Cheung Wai Lok
Provide by: Hong Kong Arts Festival
< Back to Categories
hkadc@hkadc.org.hk
Copyright 2020 © All Rights Reserved. Hong Kong Arts Development Council.


text:
Trade Negotiations
Multilateral Trade Relations
Bilateral Affairs
Issuance of Certificate of Origin
EU GSP
Other GSP
Indo - Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA)
Pakistan - Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (PSFTA)
SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA)
South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
Asia - Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
Global System of Trade Preference
Recommendation of Residence Visa
REX System Registration
Joint Trade and Economic Cooperation
Trade Representation Abroad
Library and WTO Reference Centre
DOC Announcements
REX System
FAQ's - General
FAQ's - REX System
FAQ's - Trade Remedy Measures
Category: South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985. The member states of SAARC are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan became the 8th member with the signing of a joint declaration during the 14th SAARC summit held in New Delhi in April 2007.
The SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) was signed in April 1993 and came in to force in December 1995. The SAPTA aimed at promoting mutual trade and economic cooperation among the member countries through exchange of concessions.
However, the member countries recognized the need to progress beyond a preferential trading arrangement and move towards a higher level of trade and economic cooperation in the region. As a result, the SAARC Council of Ministers signed a framework Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) in January 2004 in Islamabad. The SAFTA entered into force on 1st January, 2006.
Phase-I of the Trade Liberalization Programme (TLP) under SAFTA implemented with effect from 01st July 2006 and scheduled to be completed by 31st December 2015.
The negative lists of member states under Trade Liberalization Programme (Phase I) is as follows
Member State Number of Products in the Sensitive Lists (Phase-I TLP)
Bangladesh 1233 (LDCs)
1241 (NLDCs)
India 480 (LDCs)
868 (NLDCs)
Nepal 1257 (LDCs)
The Phase-II of the Trade Liberalization Programme (TLP) under SAFTA implemented with effect from 1st January 2014 and the revised negative lists of member states are as follows;
Member State Number of Products in the Revised Sensitive Lists as Per HS 2007(Phase-II TLP)
Afghanistan 858
Bangladesh 987 (LDCs)
India 25(LDCs)
Nepal 998 (LDCs)
837 (LDCs)
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Design and Developed by Procons Infotech
Last modified: 16 January 2020.


text:
Administration March 8, 2010
Funded Status of Pensions Remains Stable in February
March 8, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The financial position of pension plans remained unchanged in February, according to the latest figures from Mercer.
A Mercer news release said the funded status of pension plans sponsored by the S&P1500 companies was 83% at the end of February, unchanged from the position at the end of January. This is equivalent to a deficit of $256 billion at the end of February compared with a deficit at the end of January of $263 billion, according to the announcement.
The 2009 year-end deficit was $247 billion, corresponding to a funded status of 84%.
Mercer data shows the estimated aggregate value of pension plan assets of the S&P 1500 companies at December 31, 2009, was $1.25 trillion, compared with estimated aggregate liabilities of $1.50 trillion. Allowing for changes in financial markets though the end of February 2010, changes to the S&P 1500 constituents, and newly released financial disclosures, the estimated aggregate assets were $1.25 trillion, compared with the estimated value of the aggregate liabilities of $1.51 trillion.
Mercer attributes the funded status stability to relatively benign market conditions in February. The company said plan sponsors continue to work towards adopting investment strategies that are more closely linked to their liabilities.
Mercer pointed out that for financial year ends on or after December 31, 2009, new disclosure rules from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) will require plan sponsors to provide more detail and descriptive information about their pension plan asset allocations and investment strategies.
Defined Benefit
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Data and Research | August 31st, 2021
State and Local Government Workers' Annuity Preferences
Virtually all state and local workers are offered a single- and joint-life annuity, while about 40% are offered a period...
Compliance | August 6th, 2021
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Echoing similar complaints filed against other large employers, the plaintiffs claim Citgo is failing to pay the full promised value...
« Ridgeworth Investments Offers Education on Mid-caps


If you want to get in touch you can direct your query to one of the committee members who will be more than happy to help.
Alternativly you can e-mail us at enquiries@lrbloodbikes.org.uk and we will respond to your query as quickly as we can.
We are on Twitter (@LRBloodBikes) and Facebook (facebook.com/LRBloodBikes).


text:
Q: Laravel 5.3 Auth - Possibility to register and log in but also to continue as guest I'm currently developing a website with Laravel, where users can register and afterwards login in order to do something on my page.
Now, I'm planning to introduce the possibility to proceed as a guest, so they can "Login as Guest" and then proceed like a normal user (but without the possibility to permanently save information they enter there). Also, they should be always able to change this Guest account to a permanent account by entering their mail-address as well as a password. I thought about simply creating a new user in db when clicking on login as guest, like a normal registered user and afterwards deleting it, but I'm not sure if that is possible to easy... Is there any way to "easily" do this or do you have any ideas on how to do it?
The registered user should be able to do lots of things like changing their addresses, informations, submit a ticket, sign up for newsletter, etc..., guests will only be able to put something in their shopping cart and buy it (and while buying they should be able to create a account as well..)
Also I know that I might need to implement a custom guard to authentificate a guest user (because normally they will need a password, I only want them to enter their mail adress to "log in". But ofcourse I need a session key to be generated etc., so this is the guards part then... But what do I need to do to create such a custom guard that fullfills my issues? I found the laravel doc for this (https://laravel.com/docs/5.3/authentication#adding-custom-guards), but can't really combine it with my problem....
PS: I'm using Laratrust for different roles within the page, so with that I might be able to show different menus or other information for a guest user after logging in with their mail adress. But still, the question is how to do it...
Thx for any help!
Edit: After thinking about it again, I want to get it a bit clearer. I basically plan to change the login page and add a button like "proceed as guest" and define a route like guestLogin for it. This route would point to a controller that somehow logs in using a (propably selfmade) auth. When clicking the button, a entry is added into the users table in my database, with only an idea and a remember token. Then, the guest user can place products in his shopping cart and can order something. In the order process, he needs to enter his personal information like his adress, email-adress, etc. He then also has the option check a checkbox to automatically register then by entering a password. Then his information is saved into the db as well (on the row created for the guest user).
PS: Again on Laratrust, I would create a guest role to show exactly the pages I want him to show, as well as custom checkout pages. So the only real problem is the login (by a custom auth guard, which I have no idea how to implement it) as well as later on registering for a user basically already existing (even if its just the ID in db so far).
I hope you got my idea.

A: Authentication and Authorisation works around saving and remembering user who is requesting an resource from server. To be able to remember, you have to either use session or a database or any other storage mechanism.
You must be taking enough user information to identify the guest user, eg. email, as they are going to perform some operations and later, we have to find the user who has made changes in current state of the data/application.
Store this email or other information in database's 'user' table or create a guest role with Laratrust. It's just a simple guest role, who can perform operations with basic details, with out entering password.
See if this helps, otherwise we can dive into more detailed discussion.


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The school telltale reported Linley to the principal for smoking behind the gym.
I'm not allowed to speak to Max.
Ramadoss used Johnathan's credit cards.
As I told you, Emily is dying.
Where does Tiefenthal live now?
Nigel will be thirty in October.
The problem is we're not sure Vishal can do the job.
Clarissa went to visit his sister in Boston.
Anderson Jackson wanted to become the mayor of Boston.
What are you going to tell Pablo exactly?
Rees took the calendar off the wall.
Mwa is pretty outgoing, isn't he?
Jaime hesitated to kill the infected dog.
It's been a long time since I've thought about Vijay.
I wonder what Jeanne sees in Page.
Galen rushed down the corridor.
Swamy wanted Ken to tell him what to do.
Soohong fell in love with a German officer.
Jared closed his eyes for a few seconds.
Shaw started talking to Stewart as soon as the door closed.
I still think Kurt is a sexist.
I've been out looking for Philippe.
What would've happened if Willie had come?
Gil likes the extreme cold of Alaska.
I'll tell Huashi you said so.
Anita promised Helge that he wouldn't drink anymore.
Shahid might be badly hurt.
Charlene could barely contain his excitement.
Geoff was the first guy I ever kissed 10 years ago.
Reinhard was able to work with renewed vigour after taking a short break.
Jef handed Werner a large padded envelope.
I'll tell Peggy this afternoon.


text:
Preview: Powers Could Prevail Again
Posted Thursday, October 18, 2018
This year's Lower Peninsula Boys Tennis Finals will again feature a number of contenders we're used to seeing raise trophies during the season's closing weekend.
Reigning champions Okemos in Division 2 and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood in Division 3 are loaded with top seeds, as is Ann Arbor Greenhills in Division 4 as it looks to build off two straight runner-up finishes. The closest competition might come in Division 1, where reigning champion Bloomfield Hills must fend off the usual cast of contenders including Ann Arbor Huron and Birmingham Brother Rice – but will take them on with a lineup topped by victorious veterans.
Play both Friday and Saturday begins at 8 a.m. Click for full brackets for all four tournaments, plus Regional results, and come back to Second Half early Saturday evening for coverage from all four Finals.
Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Midland Tennis Center
Top-ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills, 2. Ann Arbor Huron, 3. Birmingham Brother Rice.
Bloomfield Hills has won two of the last three Division 1 titles, last year by two points ahead of Troy and eight ahead of third-place Ann Arbor Huron. Huron claimed the championship in 2016, by two points ahead of the Black Hawks. Brother Rice has finished runner-up three times this decade and as recently as 2014, and will play for its first title since 2009. The Warriors came in fourth last season.
Bloomfield Hills: Seven of eight flights are seeded first or second, led by top-seeded Andrew Zhang at No. 1 singles. He's finishing a career that's seen him win No. 2 singles as a sophomore and finish runner-up at No. 2 in 2015 and No. 1 a year ago. Sebastian Burman is the top seed at No. 3 singles after being part of last season's No. 1 doubles champion with brother Cade, the second seed this weekend at No. 4 singles. Noah Rosin and Adrian Wilen are top-seeded at No. 1 doubles – Wilen was part of the No. 3 runner-up a year ago.
Ann Arbor Huron: The River Rats have won four of seven team titles this decade. They also are seeded at seven flights and pack the most power with three top-seeded doubles pairs – Nick Grosh and T.J. Bai at No. 2, Sammy Clyde and Pranav Sharma at No. 3 and Nikhil Girish and Vincent Tremonti at No. 4. Grosh and Bai were runners-up at No. 4 a year ago.
Birmingham Brother Rice: The Warriors are seeded at six flights and should stack up some singles points led by second-seeded Jarreau Campbell at No. 1 and top-seeded JJ Etterbeek at No. 2. Campbell made the No. 1 singles semifinals a year ago and was part of the No. 1 doubles champion in 2015. Second-seeded No. 1 doubles pair Josh Anschuetz and Niko Mamatas have enjoyed previous Finals success as well, Mamatas as part of the runner-up at No. 2 doubles last season and Anschuetz as part of the runner-up at No. 1 in 2016.
Clarkston's Luke Baylis: The Wolves junior is the third seed at No. 1 singles after making the semifinals last season and finishing runner-up at No. 2 as a freshman.
Lower Peninsula Division 2 at Holland Christian/Hope College
Top-ranked: 1. Okemos, 2. Birmingham Groves, 3. Birmingham Seaholm.
The Chiefs swept their Regional flights and are looking to repeat as a Finals champion for the first time since winning four straight titles from 2004-07. They finished 15 points ahead of runners-up Groves and Midland Dow a year ago, while Seaholm finished fifth. The runner-up finish was Groves' fourth, and the Falcons are seeking their first championship. Seaholm owns two runner-up finishes and also is seeking its first title.
Okemos: The Chiefs won six flight championships a year ago, and they're seeded first in all eight heading into this weekend. Shrey Patel was the No. 3 singles champion in 2017 and is seeded first at No. 2 doubles with Druv Talluri – part of last season's No. 3 doubles champion. Daniel Gorelik is the reigning No. 4 singles champ and part of the top seed at No. 1 doubles with Zal Chinoy, part of last season's champion at that flight. Josh Portnoy was the runner-up at No. 2 singles last season and is seeded first at that flight, with freshman Ozan Colak the top seed at No. 1, Benjamin Letzer the top at No. 3 and Rohan Shah the top at No. 4; Shah was part of the No. 2 doubles champ a year ago. Siddharth Nagisetty and Aditya Kandula at No. 3 doubles and Abhi Shukul and Diego Casagrande at No. 4 round out the top seeds; Nagisetty teamed with Shah for that No. 2 title last season and Kandula was part of the winning No. 4 flight.
Birmingham Groves: All eight flights are seeded, and five third or higher. Gabe Liss is the third seed at No. 1 singles after finishing runner-up a year ago, while Gabe Vidinas is the second seed as the reigning champion at No. 2 and Jonah Liss is seeded third at No. 3 after finishing runner-up at that flight last season. Aerik Joe is part of the sixth-seeded No. 1 doubles pair and was part of the No. 4 champion in 2016.
Birmingham Seaholm: The Maples are seeded at five flights with three second-seeded doubles pairs. Ben Adams and Aidan O'Neill are teamed up for the second seed at No. 1 – Adams was part of the runner-up last season at No. 4 and O'Neill was part of the No. 3 runner-up. Max Levitsky teamed with Adams at No. 4 last season and this weekend is part of the second-seeded pair at No. 3.
Mattawan's Nathaniel Webster: After making the second round as the fifth seed at No. 1 singles as a freshman last year, Webster enters this weekend third-seeded at the top flight.
Midland Dow's Tyler Conrad: The Chargers' senior is seeded fourth at No. 1 singles after finishing runner-up at No. 3 as a freshman, champion at No. 3 as a sophomore and making the semifinals at No. 2 last fall.
Lower Peninsula Division 3 at Novi
Top-ranked: 1. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, 2. Detroit Country Day, 3. East Grand Rapids.
Cranbrook Kingswood and Detroit Country Day have finished as the top two in this division the last four seasons, with the Cranes winning the last three titles after Country Day won four straight from 2011-14. In fact, they've combined to win the last 10 championships, and last year Cranbrook cleared the field by eight points. East Grand Rapids has finished runner-up twice over the last 11 seasons and is seeking its first title since spring 2007. The Pioneers tied for third last season with Ada Forest Hills Eastern.
Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood: The Cranes are seeded at every flight and carry six top seeds into the weekend, with three returning 2017 champions. Lucas Bosch is the top seed at No. 1 singles after winning No. 2 a year ago, and similarly Justin Luo is the top seed at No. 2 coming off the No. 3 singles titles. (Luo also was No. 4 champion as a freshman and No. 3 runner-up as a sophomore.) Joe Croskey was part of the No. 2 doubles champion in 2017 and is seeded first at No. 4 singles. Nolan Sherwood played No. 1 singles for Forest Hills Eastern last season and is seeded first at No. 3 for the Cranes. Patrick Tiwari and Sohum Acharya are the top seed at No. 2 doubles – Acharya was the runner-up at No. 4 singles last season – and Geoffrey Qin and Isaiah Croskey are top-seeded at No. 4. Nikhil Deenadaylu teamed with Croskey to win No. 2 last season and is part of the fourth-seeded No. 1 pair this time with Jack Trees, a runner-up at No. 3 in 2017. Hayes Bradley and David Hermelin are seeded third at No. 3 doubles after finishing runner-up at No. 4 a year ago.
Detroit Country Day: All eight flights are seeded second or third at their respective flights. Nikolas Gruskin is the second seed at No. 1 singles and Ricky Warnicke is the third seed at No. 2 – they finished back-to-back runners-up at No. 2 in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Nick Sicilia was part of the No. 4 doubles champion last season and is part of the second-seeded No. 2 pair. Alex Mettler and Alex Pollak are the second seed at No. 1.
East Grand Rapids: The Pioneers are seeded at seven flights including with one of the top seeds that didn't go to Cranbrook. Nick Lambert and Graham Haslem earned it at No. 3 doubles after making the semifinals for that flight together last season. Kole Butterer was part of the No. 2 doubles runner-up last season and is part of the third-seeded pair at No. 1. Ben Collins made the quarterfinals at No. 1 singles last season as a sixth seed and returns in the third spot in that flight.
St. Clair's Derek Distelrath: The Saints freshman enters his first MHSAA Finals as the fourth seed at No. 1 singles.
Ada Forest Hills Eastern's Anish Premkumar and Anish Kokkula: They're the top seed at No. 1 doubles after Kokkula made the semifinals last season at No. 3 singles and Premkumar was part of the champion at this flight.
Lower Peninsula Division 4 at Kalamazoo College
Top-ranked: 1. Ann Arbor Greenhills, 2. Traverse City St. Francis, 3. Allegan.
Greenhills won eight straight Division 4 titles from 2008-15 before Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett won the last two with the Gryphons finishing second both times. Liggett is ranked No. 7 entering this weekend, and Greenhills is poised to take back the title after coming up two points short a year ago. St. Francis was third last season, six points off the lead, and it is seeking its first top-two finish. So too is Allegan, which tied for fifth in LPD3 last season.
Ann Arbor Greenhills: The Gryphons have six top seeds and two second seeds. Kann Oral is the reigning champion at No. 2 singles and seeded first at that flight, and Taha Zirapury is the top seed at No. 4 after pairing for the No. 3 doubles championship last fall. Trey Feldeisen is back at No. 1 doubles as the reigning champion but with new partner Henry Branch, a No. 3 singles semifinalist last season. Nathan Rosenberg and Finn Feldeisen at No. 3 doubles, Harrison Li and Alex Schwendeman at No. 4 and Mert Oral at No. 3 singles also carry top seeds into the weekend. Drake Rosenberg and Joey Formicola are the second-seeded pair at No. 2 doubles after Rosenberg teamed with Zirapury for the No. 3 title last season and Formicola was part of the runner-up at No. 2. Sahil Deenadayalu is the second seed at No. 1 singles.
Traverse City St. Francis: Seven flights are seeded, with one top seed and four second at their respective flights. Tyler Tafelsky is part of the second-seeded pair at No. 1 doubles after combining to win No. 4 last season, and Sean Navin and Brendan Chouinard own that top seed at No. 2 doubles. Andrew Gerling is the fourth seed at No. 1 singles, topping a lineup with the second seeds at the other three flights.
Allegan: Five flights are seeded, all third or higher, and with four seeds coming in doubles. In singles, Kody Harrington is the third seed at No. 2 after finishing No. 3 runner-up in Division 3 a year ago. Zach Sisson made the semifinals at No. 1 doubles in last season and is part of the third seed at that flight with Zach Lang, who made the quarterfinals at No. 2 doubles in Division 3 a year ago.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett's William Cooksey: Last season's No. 1 singles champ as a freshman returns as the top seed at that flight as a sophomore.
Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard's Ian Sood: A junior, Sood finished runner-up at No. 2 singles both of his first two seasons and this weekend is seeded third at No. 1.
PHOTO: Okemos' Druv Talluri returns a volley during a No. 3 doubles match at last season's Finals; he returns this weekend as part of the top-seeded pair at No. 2. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Always Contender, Allegan Now Champion By Geoff Kimmerly Second Half editor Allegan's championship story began nearly a half-century ago. A longtime coach retires after 45 years bu...
Allegan Earns 1st Title, Hackett 1st Since 2005 By Greg Chrapek Special for Second Half HOLLAND – After chasing an elusive MHSAA Finals tennis championship for years, what would a few more h...
Greenhills Near-Perfect in New Division By Pam Shebest Special for Second Half KALAMAZOO — Saturday was a perfect day for tennis and almost perfect for Ann Arbor Greenhills. The Gry...
FH Northern Finishes Long Climb Back to #1 By Jason Schmitt Special for Second Half ANN ARBOR – Cole Rynbrandt had been there before. He'd seen his older brothers capture individu...
Rivals Share D1 Title, Baylis Ends on Top By Perry A. Farrell Special for Second Half MIDLAND – Tom Pullen was just glad to be in the hunt. The 28-year Ann Arbor Pioneer head coach, w...
East Grand Rapids, Birmingham Groves, Ann Arbor Huron, Detroit Country Day, Allegan, Traverse City St. Francis, Okemos, Birmingham Seaholm, Birmingham Brother Rice, Ann Arbor Greenhills, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood


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Social Worker: 'Stop Telling Your Kids Their $200 Toys Are From Santa'
by Meredith Bland
December 22, 2017 Updated September 17, 2020
Image via miodrag ignjatovic/Getty Images
A social worker's plea to parents about expensive Santa gifts is going viral
Kids love getting gifts from Santa, but should parents put more thought into which presents are "from Santa" and which ones are from them? That's what social worker Megan Dunn has suggested in a now-viral Facebook post in which she asks parents to consider the message it sends children from families without the means to give big gifts.
Last week, Dunn, who works for the Kentucky Family Preservation Program, wrote a post about the effect it has on kids from families who don't have as much money when their peers receive expensive presents "from Santa."
In her post, Dunn talks about the families she works with who can't afford to buy their kids high-ticket items like iPads. When their kids get less-expensive toys, they think that Santa decided that was all they deserved: "This is the second year I've had a parent cry to me telling me that their kid asked if they weren't good enough or if Santa didn't like them as much. Breaks my heart for the parents and the kids."
What do we tell kids about Santa? We tell them that he has a list of naughty kids and nice kids. We warn them that he knows if they've been bad or good and gives out presents accordingly. So if Santa gives Billy a pair of socks while his friend Jimmy gets a Playstation, what message does that send to a five-year-old? It tells them that Santa, who can travel the world overnight with flying reindeer and has access to all the presents in the world, chose to give them those presents. And Santa would only have made that choice if Jimmy was "better" than Billy.
Dunn's plea is simple: just put Santa's name on the less expensive presents. It's a small thing parents can do that could make an enormous difference to their children's classmates when they get back to school and start talking about what they got for Christmas (which of course, parents should be telling their kids to be careful about in the first place). "I cannot stress this enough," Dunn wrote, "STOP TELLING YOUR SANTA AGE KIDS THAT THEIR IPADS, AND IPHONES, AND 200 DOLLAR TOYS ARE FROM SANTA. CAUSE SOME FAMILIES CANT AFFORD THAT…Leave the less expensive gifts from Santa. Be blessed you can afford what others cannot."
Facebook commenters had a range of responses to Dunn's post. Among the surprisingly large number of Santa Truthers ("This is what happens when parents lie to their kids about Santa!"), there were many who thanked her for pointing out an issue they'd never considered before:
Others, however, took offense to her post and showed a remarkable lack of empathy towards the children of families without the money to do a big Christmas:
Dunn tells Scary Mommy that the negative reactions to her post have actually brought out a lot of good. "Several people in opposition stated those who were in need should simply 'save a dollar a day starting December 26.' What they don't realize is for many, that's not feasible. So as kind of a lighthearted dig, we created a name for it. 'Santa's piggy bank' is a rainy day fund for unexpected life events to purchase Christmas for children and families in need."
This time of year can be difficult for Dunn considering the families she works with. "I began to almost dread Christmas time because my heart felt so heavy for these families. I'm so grateful for the attention this has generated because it has allowed me to start the Santa fund and we've helped families from every state and received donations from other countries."
Happily, the fundraising is going well. "I have been matching people cross country donating to others cross country. We are at over $11,000 in three days," Dunn shares.
Christmas is supposed to be about love, joy, and family. And if doing something as small as changing the name on a card is enough to make this time of year a bit easier on families that struggle, it's literally the least we can do.
Back to Trending


When you form healthy habitual behaviors for the morning, you set your day up for success. Whether you are aware of them or not, you operate under habits (both good and bad) all the time—they are an integral part of your daily existence. Part of developing a healthy habit, is to become intentional with it. Most habits are formed because they are easy or along the path of least resistance. If you want to cultivate positive habits, then you may need to put some intentional effort into forming them until they become second nature.
As you smile, start to reflect upon what you're grateful for. Studies have shown practicing gratitude reduces stress hormones and improves mood, among other benefits. So, adding a simple daily gratitude practice is a great way to kick-start your morning.
Tim Ferriss, author and podcast host (The Tim Ferriss Show) has interviewed more than a hundred highly successful people with diverse backgrounds and skillsets, and in a variety of industries. He always asks, "What's your morning routine?" Along the way, he has collected five habits that he has incorporated into his morning routine, and one of them is making his bed.
Whether it's a simple yoga routine, a brisk walk with your pet, a quick set of sit-ups and push-ups, or hitting the gym to work off last night's meal, starting off your day with movement energizes the body and the mind. Determine what kind of exercise is right for you and schedule it. It doesn't have to be complicated, long, or intense, but having some sort of physical activity in the morning will get your blood flowing and help quiet any mental chatter. You can even switch up what kind of exercise you do every day to keep your routine interesting.
Take a few minutes to write down a "to-do" list for the day ahead. Then prioritize it so your day's list has only 3 to 5 items on it—ranked in order of priority to make sure you tackle the most pressing things first.


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