When the snow is falling and hot chocolate is piping, few activities are more refreshing and relaxing than plopping down on the couch and turning on the television. Some will watch live Christmas events from Rockefeller Center, while others will tune into a bowl game. But if you’re of a certain age, you clearly remember the excitement when Nickelodeon began to roll out its litany of timeless Christmas specials. From Kenan & Kel in the 1990s to Danny Phantom in the late 2000s, Nickelodeon has entered the pantheon of networks that have consistently rolled out classic holiday specials. While Nickelodeon’s legacy is cemented, the ranking of its best holiday season episodes is and will always be hotly contested. Not to start a debate at the holiday dinner table, but here are the 10 best classic Nickelodeon holiday specials. Show: Keenan & Kel Air Date: December 14, 1996 Kel ( Kel Mitchell ) loves orange soda and Kenan ( Kenan Thompson ) loves Christmas. He spends the entire year saving money to buy a new bike and takes an extra job as Santa at the mall to help get the last few dollars he needs. However, his plans are derailed when he comes across a brother and sister who dream of a great Christmas filled with presents that their mother can’t afford. In a selfless mood, Kenan uses the money he makes as Santa to surprise the kids and their mom with presents. Kenan’s upset that he didn’t get the bike he wanted, but he knows he did the right thing and Santa rewards him with a bike of his own. As with many Nickelodeon holiday specials, Kenan’s act of giving underscores the importance of family, friends, community, and giving throughout the holiday season. Show: Invader Zim Air Date: December 10, 2002 Name two more idiotically entertaining rivals than Zim ( Richard Steven Horvitz ) and Dib (Andy Berman). I’ll wait. While I wait, also figure out why Dib’s dad, Professor Membrane ( Rodger Bumpass ), named him Dib. Anyway, Zim and Dib’s rivalry takes center stage when Zim learns about the lure of Santa, kidnaps a man dressed up in a Santa suit and drains his brain. Normal holiday festivities, right? Once Zim drains the man’s brain and learns more about the lure of Santa, he devises a plan to build a Santa suit and convince all of humankind that he’s worthy of following and giving their undying devotion too. For the most part, it works and Zim is close to bringing all of human kind to the Tallest in order to extend his rule. However, Dib intervenes and garners the support of his sister, Gaz (Melissa Fahn), and his father, Professor Membrane, and stops Zim before he’s able to fully takeover. Overall, it’s a pretty weird storyline for a kid’s show during the holiday season, but Invader Zim is at its best when it’s weird. Show: Rocko’s Modern Life Air Date: December 1, 1994 Rocko ( Carlos Alazraqui ) is a better person than most because his grace throughout this Christmas special is unmatched. For nearly the entire episode, Rocko works to put together beautiful holiday decorations and host a lovely holiday party. Instead, his friends treat him poorly, other characters bully him, and no one except a magic elf shows up to his party. The elf works his magic and creates a memorable snowfall around Rocko’s house and Rocko’s house only. When the blizzard leaves a perfect amount of snow and holiday cheer around his house, Rocko’s friends show up at his front door to apologize and make the most of the holiday party. Rocko, being the kind soul he is, lets them in and thanks them for coming. Show: iCarly Air Date: December 13, 2008 Timmy Turner ( Tara Strong ) isn’t the only character in the Nickelodeon multiverse to have their dreams come true during the holiday season. When Carly’s brother, Spencer ( Jerry Trainor ), builds an electromagnet Christmas tree that sets fire to holiday gifts, Carly ( Miranda Cosgrove ) wishes that her brother was a bit more normal. However, things aren’t as great as Carly hoped they’d be. Spencer becomes a “normal” lawyer dating Ms. Benson (Mary Scheer) while Freddie ( Nathan Kress ) no longer has a crush on Carly, and Sam ( Jennette McCurdy ) is in a juvenile detention center. Most shockingly, Carly, Spencer, and Freddie were never friends in this alternate universe and never launched a webcast. The weirdness of the episode pays off in the end because Carly realizes what we’ve always known: her life is pretty great as is. Show: As Told by Ginger Air Date: December 10, 2001 As Told by Ginger is one of the most underrated series in the Nickelodeon catalog for various reasons, including its humor and ability to reach both young and older audiences. Case in point, the show’s “Even Steven” holiday special is immaculate. In the tertiary plot, Ginger (Melissa Disney) discovers that her grandfather is Jewish and immediately pivots from celebrating Christmas to celebrating Hanukkah. Her shift from Christmas to Hanukkah happens so quickly that it causes a rift between her and Dodie (Aspen Miller) because Ginger refuses to go to Dodie’s Christmas party and hosts her own instead. Splitting the room down the middle, half of Ginger’s party is devoted to celebrating Hanukkah, and the other half is adorned with Christmas decorations. Meanwhile, Hoodsie ( Tress MacNeille) is writing letters to Santa, asking him to give him rhythm for Christmas. Yes, you read that correctly. He genuinely asked Santa for rhythm, the ability to dance on beat. When Ginger’s brother, Carl (Jeannie Elias), finds Hoodsie begging Santa for rhythm, he not only makes fun of him, but also declares that Santa isn’t real. As a result, Carl spends the remainder of the episode attempting to prove that Santa is real. Through this effort, he learns that Carl is not a fan of the holiday season because he routinely asked Santa to bring his father home for Christmas as a kid, and his dad rarely stopped by on the holidays. With this information, Hoodsie runs up to a man dressed as Santa on the street and asks him to bring Hoodsie’s Dad home for Christmas. Little does Hoodsie know, the man dressed up as Santa is Carl’s dad. In the end, Carl’s dad visits him for Christmas, and while they’re talking in the driveway, a fire starts inside as Ginger is hosting her holiday party. Carl’s dad runs in, puts out the fire, and saves the day, making Ginger realize that the most important part of the holidays is being surrounded by family and friends. And no, Carl does not get rhythm. Show: The Fairly OddParents Air Date: December 12, 2001 Clichés may be annoying, but they’ve stood the test of time for a reason. However, when an elder said, “Be careful what you wish for,” Timmy Turner clearly wasn’t listening. Instead, he had to learn the hard way when he told Wanda (Susanne Blakeslee) and Cosmo ( Daran Norris ) that he’d like it to be Christmas every day. In his head, there’d never be school, and he’d get presents every time he woke up. Conversely, Wanda and Cosmo are magically depleted, his parents can’t work, and the other holidays become envious of Santa Claus. As a result, Timmy must make a trip up to the North Pole all alone. Tough luck for a kid who can literally wish for whatever he wants every other day of the year already. Show: Drake & Josh Air Date: December 5, 2008 Give a little girl named Mary Alice the best Christmas ever, or go back to jail. That’s essentially the plot of “Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh.” Drake ( Drake Bell ) desperately wants to host a party on the rooftop of Josh’s workplace, Premier Theater. To the surprise of just about everyone, Josh’s boss agrees to let Drake host the party as long as he volunteers to dress up as Santa for kids in the mall. Drake agrees, but things go haywire when a woman tries to kiss him, and he runs away. While hiding, he runs into a little girl named Mary Alice ( Bailee Madison ) and promises to give her the best Christmas ever. Drake finishes his shift as Santa and gets to host the party after all, but it’s cut short when a few uninvited guests show up, and Josh ( Josh Peck ) calls the police. However, there’s a mixup when the police arrive and Josh gets arrested. Being the good stepbrother he is, Drake tries to break Josh out of jail. Unfortunately, Drake gets arrested, too. When Drake and Josh get to speak to a judge, they explain that they need to get out to fulfill Drake’s promises to Mary Alice. The judge releases them, but warns that they will be brought back if they do not give Mary Alice the best Christmas ever. No pressure, right? Show: Rugrats Air Date: December 6, 1992 It may not seem like it, but there is not much of a difference between The Boondocks ‘ Huey Freeman ( Regina King ) and the children of Rugrats . Huey chases Santa around the mall with a BB gun, screaming, “You gon’ pay what you owe.” Meanwhile, Tommy ( Elizabeth Daily ), Chuckie (Christine Cavanaugh), and the crew are setting dangerous traps for Santa , so they can question him about his character. “The Santa Experience” kicks off at the mall where Angelica (Cheryl Chase) bum rushes the line to see Santa and tells Mr. Claus how much she needs a dream dollhouse for Cynthia. While Mr. Claus pushed her away, mall staff gave her a box of free toys to apologize for Santa rightfully pushing her away. Even with the free presents, Angelica is ungrateful and doesn’t want them. Meanwhile, Tommy and Chuckie are debating whether or not Santa is a good person. You know, typical baby stuff, right? Tommy is convinced Santa is a great guy, while Chuckie is, of course, scared of Saint Nick and thinks he’s a bad guy. In the kitchen, the parents are having a relatable conversation about their challenges and struggles, trying to ensure each of their children has a good holiday season. Later, the kids and parents head north to celebrate Christmas in a cabin. There, Chuckie and Tommy set up a booby trap to catch Santa. Much to their disappointment, the trap only manages to catch Stu ( Jack Riley ). Ultimately, everything turns out for the best as Santa just rings the front doorbell and delivers the presents face-to-face. Angelica gets her doll house, Chuckie determines Santa is a good person after all, and the Rugrats get the perfect Christmas. Show: SpongeBob SquarePants Air Date: December 6, 2000 If you ask most fans of SpongeBob SquarePants about Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), most would say he’s closer to being the Grinch than Santa Claus. However, “Christmas Who?” proves otherwise. Spongebob ( Tom Kenny ) visits Sandy ( Carolyn Lawrence ) and finds the proud Texan setting up Christmas decorations around her house. Instead of helping her, Spongebob freaks out because he thinks the lights and decorations have started a fire. It would be nearly impossible to start a fire that far underwater, but I digress. Anyway, Sandy stops him and explains to Spongebob who Santa Claus is and what happens on Christmas. Excited and enchanted, Spongebob shares the story of Christmas and Santa Claus with nearly everyone in Bikini Bottom. As a result, everyone but Squidward sends letters to Santa and spends all night caroling. When Santa doesn’t show up, everyone calls Spongebob a fraud and mocks him, including Squidward. However, Spongebob turns Squidward’s heart from coal to gold when he gives him a handcrafted clarinet for Christmas so that he won’t go without a gift. In return, Squidward dresses up as Santa and surprises Spongebob, who is delighted, and wishes him a merry Christmas. Squidward didn’t account for all of the other citizens of Bikini Bottom spotting him and asking for gifts. Instead of ruining the charade, Squidward ends up giving away nearly everything in his home away as a gift. Thankfully, Squidward is rewarded when the real Santa Claus sends a letter thanking Squidward for helping keep the spirit of Christmas alive. Show: Hey Arnold! Air Date: December 11, 1996 “Arnold’s Christmas” is not only the best Nickelodeon late-year holiday special, but it’s arguably one of the best episodes of the entire series. The series revolves around Arnold (Toran Caudell) attempting to pull off a Christmas miracle for his neighbor, Mr. Hyunh (Baoan Coleman). Through this endeavor, much of Mr. Hyunh’s backstory is revealed, including the heartbreaking story of how he and his daughter, Mai (Hiep Thi Le), have been separated for more than 20 years. While Arnold and his best friend, Gerald (Jamil Walker Smith), fall short in their quest to find Mai and reconnect her with Mr. Hyunh, Helga (Francesca Marie Smith) unexpectedly saves the day and gets Mai in touch with her father. Helga never gets the credit for creating this touching reunion, but she will always be remembered for being the driving force behind one of the most touching moments in Nickelodeon history. More Headlines:The new Bet365 Bonus Code for Black Friday guarantees a $150 bonus for 2024 sports betting. Bet365 Sportsbook Mac Douglass | Special Correspondent As of Monday, November 25th, 2024, Bet365 has unveiled an upgraded $150 Black Friday bonus offer for new users, available with the bonus code SYRACUSE. 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The ruling party pushed through a constitutional reform in September to make all federal judges stand for election, replacing the system where court employees and lawyers mainly move up through the ranks. Current court employees and their supporters have staged dozens of demonstrations against the reforms, calling them part of a ruling-party campaign to weaken checks and balances and eliminate independent regulatory and oversight bodies. Now, candidates for Supreme Court seats and federal judgeships need only a law degree, a grade point average of 3.2, “five years of professional experience” and five letters of recommendation from neighbors or friends. That, and some luck in the final drawing. Officials rejected criticism that has called the process rushed or amateurish for the often highly technical posts that can hear cases including intellectual property, organized crime and Constitutional law. “The results have been spectacular,” said Arturo Zaldivar, a top advisor to President Claudia Sheinbaum. According to the plan, evaluation committees will have just over a month to review thousands of resumes and whittle the field to about 10 candidates or less for each for the 881 judgeships and nine seats on the Supreme Court. Then 1,793 names chosen at random from those selected will appear on the ballot on June 1. Critics warn that many who land on the ballot will be unknowns who perhaps have never argued a case in the courts they seek to run. “You don’t elect a doctor or a surgeon for an operation based on their popularity, you elect them based on their technical expertise, their ability, their knowledge,” said Sergio Méndez Silva, the legal coordinator for the civic group Foundation for Justice. “That also applies for a judge.” With candidates now having to run election campaigns, critics warn there's a chance drug cartels or political parties could finance them to get friendly judges onto the bench. There are also concerns that the evaluation committees deciding who makes the cut for the selection to appear on ballots may not be impartial. Most committee members were appointed by the legislative or executive branches, controlled by the ruling Morena party. Some critics argue that the current justice system, which is riddled with nepotism, corruption and a lack of accountability, needs to be changed. “We need a justice system that gives results,” said Martínez Garza, an academic and former head of the human rights commission in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon who has registered to run for a Supreme Court seat. Trials in Mexico can last for years, and the ruling party has added to the growing list of crimes for which bail is not allowed, meaning that a large percentage of the prison population is people awaiting trial.WYLIE, Texas and LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LearnEV+ and CarTechIQ have joined forces to launch GlobalTechIQ, Inc., a joint venture delivering groundbreaking AI diagnostic technology for heavy-duty and off-highway vehicle repairs. This collaboration, operating under the name HeavyDutyIQ, leverages live, context-based AI solutions to transform repair processes and empower technicians with real-time, accurate recommendations. GlobalTechIQ’s AI assistant processes data from a broad array of sources, including heavy-duty OEMs, tier 1 suppliers, and industry veterans. By analyzing these inputs in real-time, the system provides context-aware, live recommendations tailored to specific symptoms and diagnostic trouble codes. This ensures technicians receive the most relevant and actionable solutions instantly. “Repair shops face increasing complexity in diagnostics, electrical system repairs, and efficient troubleshooting are some of the key challenges faced by HD technicians and repair facilities today. Adding focused AI repair assistance technology to the diagnosis and repair process will drastically reduce diagnostic time and non-productive bay time by having AI-driven probable repair solutions available for the technician,” said John J. Stoeckinger, CEO of LearnEV+. “Keeping up with ever-changing systems technology on today’s vehicles is a challenge for all repair shops. In the passenger car and light duty market, our AI assistance technology provides probability-ranked repair recommendations with fast cycle times. We expect to offer similar results in the heavy-duty and off-road markets,” said Dean Ricciardulli, CEO of CarTechIQ Inc. Learn EV, Inc. is an E-commerce training platform that educates technicians in the electric vehicles space. Using virtual and augmented reality headsets to support the platform. Learn EV, Inc. leverages the assets and industry expertise of “Independent Truck Repair Group” (iTRG) to accelerate the Platform. CarTechIQ, Inc. is a leading innovator in AI-powered automotive service and support. By using specialized AI and open large language models, CarTechIQ, Inc. equips technicians and software providers with advanced tools for efficient, informed decision-making. The company’s mission is to transform the transportation industry by providing unparalleled guidance and cutting-edge technology. For more information contact or . John J. Stoeckinger Chief Executive Officer of LearnEV+
THREE KEY FACTS Sam Cane smiled as he left the field after his final test, against Italy. Cane’s record includes 82 wins in 104 tests and 66% as captain, facing heavy criticism throughout his career. Coach Scott Robertson defended his choice of picking experienced players instead of playing those less so. Paul Lewis is a veteran sports journalist who has written four books and covered Rugby World Cups, America’s Cups, Olympic and Commonwealth Games and more. OPINION By far the best moment of that messy, dull test against Italy was the sight of Sam Cane allowing himself a small grin as he left the field as an All Black for the last time.
TNT Sport journalist took to social media to share her delight after covering Ireland’s 52-17 defeat of Fiji from pitchside at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, alongside Irish rugby legends Brian O'Driscoll and Simon Zebo. “Well, that was a little-girl’s-dream-come-true kind of day. I have worked in elite professional sport for a long time now, but this was my first time getting to cover an Ireland rugby match,” Chennaoui wrote on Instagram. "Shall I share a story about Ireland and why I came to love rugby so much as a kid? It’s because it was one of the few games, when I was growing up, that we played together as a nation. “I was brought up a Catholic in a deeply and violently divided Northern Ireland. While my love for Gaelic sports came from the very heart of our community, from the heart of our family, rugby was one of the few sports that brought both communities together.” Growing up in Draperstown, a predominantly Catholic village in Co Derry, the former all-Ireland triple jump champion recalled how she would “belt out Amhrán na bhFiann at Gaelic football matches,” but added the rugby anthem “was different.” "It was a sporting anthem that belonged to everyone and belonged to rugby in particular,” she wrote. She added: “I have always been proudly Irish and proudly Northern Irish, and this was one of the few sports where I didn’t have to choose allegiance between the two. “So, my love for rugby is deeply rooted in a love for Ireland playing rugby in particular. To be pitch-side, to get to cover the game alongside legends @brianodriscoll and @simonzebo, was very special indeed. And an awful lot of craic.” She added: “A joy of a day from start to finish, and I really hope you enjoyed it with us.”Whitecaps looking for new coach, fire Sartini after 3 years at the helm