text:
Showing posts with label Sprint. Show all posts
Nokia delivers big capacity boost for 5G with 16-layer MU-MIMO
Wednesday, March 25, 2020 5G, Nokia, Sprint
Nokia has significantly boosted the 5G capacity of its commercial AirScale solution via a software upgrade.
The new software release leverages Massive MIMO to achieve 16 layers of MU-MIMO to deliver up to four times the total downlink cell throughput. Typically MIMO consists of 2 layers of network capacity. Massive MIMO, which was invented by Nokia Bell Labs, considerably multiplies the capacity of a wireless connection without requiring additional spectrum.
Sprint has conducted a lab test of the new software that delivered approximately 3Gbps total downlink cell throughout and. The test was performed using Sprint 5G with a software upgrade of E-UTRAN New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and Multi-User-Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) – the first time this has been achieved. The test utilized Sprint's 2.5 GHz spectrum as well as commercial devices such as hotspots.
When the service is made commercially available, it will allow operators to vastly increase their network capacity via a software update without having to invest in additional spectrum.
EN-DC allows devices to add throughput to LTE and 5G networks – resulting in higher user throughput. Typically, operators use two radios for LTE and 5G, however, for this test Nokia used a single AirScale unit. Nokia and Sprint have launched 5G service in areas of four cities in the U.S, which are New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC and Phoenix.
Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks, Nokia, commented: "This is the latest achievement from our long-standing relationship with Sprint. The demand for 4G and 5G mobile data continues to rise exponentially and this impacts network capacity. This test is an important milestone as it will help operators to vastly increase capacity now and in the future, helping to deliver excellent customer experiences while keeping costs to a minimum."
https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2020/03/24/nokia-delivers-record-5g-capacity-gains-via-software-upgrade/
T-Mobile say it has the funding to complete the Sprint Merger
Thursday, March 19, 2020 Sprint, T-Mobile
T-Mobile US issued a statement saying it is currently financially prepared to close its planned merger with Sprint.
The company, which previously secured commitments for bridge financing and senior credit facility financing, said it has been in communication with all sixteen banks and has not received any notification that any of the banks are unprepared to fund their commitments to support the closing of the merger transaction. The companies continue to drive forward toward closing the merger as soon as possible.
"I'm pleased that right now we have broad support from the banks to finance the closing of this merger - we are very close to unleashing the capabilities of the New T-Mobile, and that is even more important for consumers during the current COVID-19 pandemic," said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile. "Our nation is more dependent than ever on connectivity, and we will continue to deliver our essential wireless service today and when we merge with Sprint, with a Nationwide 5G service that is broader and more robust than anything else in America. We can see the finish line and are prepared to close the merger very soon so our teams can get to work building a supercharged Un-carrier."
"We are very happy to have assembled sixteen leading U.S. and global banks in our committed bridge financing for the acquisition of Sprint. This diversification of banks, and the spreading of the committed bridge financing creates a very high-quality bridge," said Braxton Carter, Chief Financial Officer of T-Mobile.
http://www.NewTMobile.com
T-Mobile and Sprint amend merger terms
Thursday, February 20, 2020 Sprint, T-Mobile
T-Mobile US and Sprint amended the terms of their pending merger as follows:
Immediately following the closing, and after the surrender of shares by SoftBank, Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank are expected to hold approximately 43% and 24%, respectively, of the fully diluted New T-Mobile shares, with the remaining approximately 33% held by public shareholders.
T-Mobile has agreed to re-issue to SoftBank the previously surrendered shares upon the achievement of certain stock price milestones by New T-Mobile during a specified measurement period, and subject to certain additional terms, as outlined in the letter agreement that will be filed by each of T-Mobile and Sprint with the SEC.
In addition, the amendment extends the "outside date" under the Business Combination Agreement to July 1, 2020, and modifies certain other provisions of the Business Combination Agreement as described in the companies' SEC filings.
A separate arrangement entered into by SoftBank Group Corp. in connection with the amendment will result in an effective exchange ratio of approximately 11.00 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile share immediately following the closing of the merger, an increase from the originally agreed 9.75 shares. This is a result of SoftBank agreeing to surrender approximately 48.8 million T-Mobile shares acquired in the merger to New T-Mobile immediately following the closing of the transaction, making SoftBank's effective ratio 11.31 Sprint shares per T-Mobile share. Sprint shareholders other than SoftBank will continue to receive the original fixed exchange ratio of 0.10256 T-Mobile shares for each Sprint share, or the equivalent of approximately 9.75 Sprint shares for each T-Mobile share.
"Today's announcement is another significant step forward toward finally closing this transaction! Throughout this journey, T-Mobile and Sprint have been singularly focused on one thing: building a supercharged Un-carrier that will offer U.S. consumers a broad and deep nationwide 5G network, more choice and greater competition. We are now on the threshold of achieving our goal. And did I mention how fun it's going to be sticking it to Dumb, Dumber and Big Cable along the way? This is going to be epic!" said John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile.
"With today's agreement in place, we are now turning our attention toward our goal of closing this transaction and creating the New T-Mobile as early as April 1, 2020," said Mike Sievert, COO and President of T-Mobile, and appointed CEO of the company starting on May 1, 2020. "We are on the verge of being able to do what we've set out to do from day one -- reshape a broken wireless industry and create the new standard for consumers when it comes to value, speed, quality and service. The New T-Mobile is literally going to change wireless for good and now we're almost ready to get to the fun part: bringing our teams together, building this supercharged Un-carrier and becoming the envy of the wireless industry and beyond!"
"Completing this step is yet another critical milestone in securing Sprint's future, and it brings us one step closer to closing this historic transaction that has been years in the making," said Marcelo Claure, Sprint Executive Chairman. "I'm incredibly thankful for the perseverance and resilience of everyone that has gotten us to this point."
Court approves T-Mobile US + Sprint merger
Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Mergers and Acquisitions, Sprint, T-Mobile
The U.S. Federal Court in New York approved the merger of T-Mobile US and Sprint. The companies said they are now taking final steps to complete their merger to create the New T-Mobile.
"Today was a huge victory for this merger … and now we are FINALLY able to focus on the last steps to get this merger done! We want to thank the Court for its thorough review of the facts we presented in our case. We've said it all along: the New T-Mobile will be a supercharged Un-carrier that is great for consumers and great for competition. The broad and deep 5G network that only our combined companies will be able to bring to life is going to change wireless … and beyond. Look out Dumb and Dumber and Big Cable – we are coming for you … and you haven't seen anything yet!" said John Legere, Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile.
"Judge Marrero's decision validates our view that this merger is in the best interests of the U.S. economy and American consumers," said Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure. "Today brings us a big step closer to creating a combined company that will provide nationwide 5G, lower costs, and a high-performing network that will invigorate competition to the benefit of all mobile wireless and in-home broadband consumers. With the support of federal regulators and now this Court, we will focus on quickly completing the few remaining necessary steps to close this transaction. I am proud of my Sprint team's dedication, passion and resilience throughout the merger review process, and we are ready to make the vision of a New T-Mobile a reality."
FCC approves T-Mobile + Sprint merger
Tuesday, November 05, 2019 Sprint, T-Mobile
The FCC voted to approve the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint with the following commitments from the new T-Mobile:
Within three years, the company will deploy 5G service to cover 97% of the American people, and within six years to reach 99% of all Americans. This commitment includes deploying 5G service to cover 85% of rural Americans within three years and 90% of rural Americans within six years.
Within six years, 90% of Americans would have access to mobile service with speeds of at least 100 Mbps and 99% of Americans would have access to speeds
of at least 50 Mbps. This includes two-thirds of rural Americans having access to mobile service with speeds of at least 100 Mbps, and 90% of rural Americans having access to speeds of at least 50 Mbps.
The FCC ruled that the merger would not harm competition and that the transaction is in the public interest.
In connection with the merger, the FCC also proposed modifications to construction deadlines related to DISH licenses and the Department of Justice's consent decree, where DISH pledged to become a new entrant into the wireless industry. DISH has committed to offering 5G to over two-thirds of Americans within four years.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai stated "New T-Mobile will be far better positioned to deploy Sprint's extensive 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings than would Sprint standing alone, given that company's financial situation. Indeed, New TMobile's network will cover at least 88% of Americans with mid-band 5G within six years, a far wider deployment than either Sprint or T-Mobile would be able to accomplish on their own."
New T-Mobile to provide network access to DISH for 7 years
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the merger of T-Mobile US and Sprint with the following conditions: Sprint's prepaid businesses and Sprint's 800 MHz spectrum assets be divested to DISH. Sprint and T-Mobile must also provide DISH wireless customers access to the New T-Mobile network for seven years and offer standard transition services arrangements to DISH during a transition period of up to three years. DISH will also have an option to take on leases for certain cell sites and retail locations that are decommissioned by the New T-Mobile, subject to any assignment restrictions.
The T-Mobile + Sprint deal was first announced on 29-April-2019. Deutsche Telekom holds approximately 62% stake in T-Mobile US. Softbank holds an 83% stake in Sprint.
"The T-Mobile and Sprint merger we announced last April will create a bigger and bolder competitor than ever before – one that will deliver the most transformative 5G network in the country, lower prices, better quality, unmatched value and thousands of jobs, while unlocking an unprecedented $43B net present value in synergies. We are pleased that our previously announced target synergies, profitability and long-term cash generation have not changed," said T-Mobile CEO and New T-Mobile CEO John Legere.
"This is an important day for our country and, most important, American consumers and businesses," said Sprint Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure. "Today's clearance from the DOJ, along with our anticipated approval from the FCC, will allow the U.S. to fiercely compete for 5G leadership. We plan to build one of the world's most advanced 5G networks, which will massively revolutionize the way consumers and businesses use their connected devices to enhance their daily lives. The powerful combination of 5G, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things will unleash endless possibilities."
https://www.t-mobile.com/news/t-mobile-sprint-merger-doj-clearance
New T-Mobile and DISH Agreements that become effective upon completion of the T-Mobile+Sprint merger
Agreement to Divest Sprint's Prepaid Businesses
The New T-Mobile will be committed to divest Sprint's entire prepaid businesses including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Sprint-branded prepaid customers (excluding the Assurance brand Lifeline customers and the prepaid wireless customers of Shenandoah Telecommunications Company and Swiftel Communications, Inc.), to DISH for approximately $1.4 billion. These brands serve approximately 9.3 million customers in total.
Agreements Upon Closing of Prepaid Divestiture
Master Services Agreement for Network Access
Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint-branded prepaid customers, as well as new DISH wireless customers, will have full access to the legacy Sprint network and the New T-Mobile network in a phased approach. Access to the New T-Mobile network will be through an MVNO arrangement, as well as through an Infrastructure MNO arrangement enabling roaming in certain areas until DISH's 5G network is built out.
Transition Services Agreement to Support Prepaid Customers
The New T-Mobile will offer standard transition services arrangements to DISH for up to three years following the close of the divestiture transaction. The transition services provided by the New T-Mobile will result in the orderly transfer of prepaid customers to DISH and will also ensure the continued and seamless operation of Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint-branded prepaid businesses following transition to DISH's ownership.
Agreement to Divest Sprint's 800 MHz Spectrum Licenses to DISH
DISH has agreed to acquire Sprint's portfolio of nationwide 800 MHz spectrum for a total value of approximately $3.6 billion in a transaction to be completed, subject to certain additional closing conditions, following an application for FCC approval to be filed three years following the closing of T-Mobile's merger with Sprint. This will permit the New T-Mobile to continue to serve legacy Sprint customers during network integration, pending later FCC approval of the license transfer. The companies have also entered into an agreement providing the New T-Mobile the option to lease back a portion of the spectrum sold to DISH for an additional two years following closing of the spectrum sale.
Option for DISH to Take Over Decommissioned Cell Sites and Retail Locations
Following the closing of T-Mobile's merger with Sprint and subsequent integration into the New T-Mobile, DISH will have the option to take on leases for certain cell sites and retail locations that are decommissioned by the New T-Mobile for five years following the closing of the divestiture transaction, subject to any assignment restrictions.
Agreement to Engage in Negotiations Regarding T-Mobile Leasing DISH's 600 MHz Spectrum
The companies have also committed to engage in good faith negotiations regarding the leasing of some or all of DISH's 600 MHz spectrum to T-Mobile.
Sprint purchases 173MW of wind energy from Duke
Sunday, October 06, 2019 Sprint
Sprint signed a 12-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Duke Energy for 173.3 megawatts (MW) of new wind energy. Duke Energy Renewables will build, own and operate the 182-MW Maryneal Windpower project located in Nolan County, Texas, that will come online in 2020.
Sprint said this agreement will enable it to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and achieve approximately 30 percent renewable energy for its total electricity portfolio. The project will provide enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of more than 54,000 U.S. homes and will reduce carbon emissions equivalent to removing more than 96,000 cars from the road annually.
"Sprint is serious about minimizing its carbon impact, and operating as a more sustainable company," said Sprint Foundation Chairman Doug Michelman. "This wind project will help us make substantial progress towards offsetting the energy we use across our operations, including our headquarters, retail stores, call centers and cell towers."
Sprint to Launch 5G Smartphone from OnePlus
Tuesday, August 06, 2019 5G, Sprint
Sprint confirmed plans to offer a 5G smartphone from OnePlus. This will be the fourth 5G device for sale by Sprint. Device specifications, pricing and exact timing will be announced soon.
"We value OnePlus' reputation for balancing high-end quality at a great value," said Dow Draper, Sprint chief commercial officer. "This new smartphone gives Sprint customers another exciting option for accessing their True Mobile 5G experience."
Sprint 5G is currently available in areas of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Kansas City, and the company expects to launch service in areas of Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks. Sprint's True Mobile 5G network will cover approximately 2,100 square miles and 11 million people total across all nine market launch areas, giving Sprint the largest initial 5G coverage footprint in the U.S.
http://www.sprint.com/sprint5G
Sprint's CAPEX amounted to $1.2 billion in Q2
Sunday, August 04, 2019 Sprint
Sprint reported stable wireless service revenue for Q2 2019 but said the pending merger with T-Mobile would help address on-going structural challenges with its business.
"While we delivered good results in the first quarter relative to expectations, the business still faces several structural headwinds and I remain convinced the merger with T-Mobile is the best outcome for our customers, employees, industry and all stakeholders," said Sprint CEO Michel Combes. "With the recent clearance of our merger by the Department of Justice, and the anticipated approval from the FCC, we are moving one step closer to building one of the world's most advanced 5G networks and providing American consumers a better network and overall experience at New T-Mobile."
Sprint's total wireless service revenue for the quarter was $5.3 billion, a decline of 3 percent year-over-year. The company cited continued amortization of prepaid contract balances as a result of adopting the new revenue standard last year. Excluding this non-operational impact, total wireless service revenue would have been relatively flat year-over-year.
Sprint's quarterly network investments, or cash capital expenditures excluding leased devices, of $1.2 billion grew year-over-year for the fourth consecutive quarter as the company made continued progress on executing its Next-Gen Network plan. Sprint nearly doubled the number of Massive MIMO radios on-air during the quarter and currently has about 3,000 units deployed.
Sprint activates 5G in Chicago
Thursday, July 11, 2019 Sprint
Sprint activated its 5G network in central Chicago, providing coverage for approximately 700,000 people. The 5G service is available from the historic IL-64 in the north to Stevenson Expressway in the south, and as far as California Avenue in the west to the periphery of Lake Michigan in the east.
In Chicago, Sprint is using 64T64R (64 transmitters 64 receivers) 5G Massive MIMO radios from Samsung Networks. These radios support a feature called split-mode that enables Sprint to simultaneously deliver LTE Advanced and 5G New Radio (NR) service. Sprint's 5G Massive MIMO radios run on its 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum, and they are deployed on Sprint's existing 4G cell sites, providing a nearly identical footprint for both 2.5 GHz LTE and 5G NR coverage.
Chicago is one of nine markets where Sprint is launching its "True Mobile 5G.: In addition to the Windy City, Sprint 5G is currently available in areas of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Kansas City and the company is expected to launch service in areas of Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. in the coming weeks.
"We're proud to give customers across the heart of Chicago their first truly mobile 5G experience," said Sprint CEO Michel Combes. "We're also excited about the tremendous opportunity for growth and innovation that Sprint 5G will bring across a wide range of industries including energy, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, insurance, transportation, hospitality and more."
Sprint's 5G unlimited plan is priced at $80/month
Thursday, May 30, 2019 5G, Sprint
Sprint activated its first 5G commercial service in areas of Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Kansas City.
Sprint is using 64T64R (64 transmitters 64 receivers) 5G Massive MIMO radios from Ericsson in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Kansas City. These radios support split-mode, enabling Sprint to simultaneously deliver LTE Advanced and 5G NR service. Sprint's 5G Massive MIMO radios run on its 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum, and they are deployed on Sprint's existing 4G cell sites, providing a nearly identical footprint for both 2.5 GHz LTE and 5G NR coverage.
Service is available using the LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone and the HTC 5G Hub.
A 5G Unlimited Premium plan -- with unlimited data, talk and text nationwide, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Twitch Prime, Tidal HiFi and 100 GB LTE mobile hotspot -- is priced at $80 per month with AutoPay for one line.
Sprint expects to launch 5G service in areas of Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, Sprint provided the following network update
Sprint now has 2.5 GHz spectrum deployed on approximately 80 percent of its macro sites.
Sprint currently has approximately 30,000 outdoor small cells deployed including both mini macros and strand mounts.
Sprint has deployed approximately 1,500 Massive MIMO radios, which increase the speed and capacity of the LTE network and, with a software upgrade, will provide mobile 5G service in select cities in the coming weeks.
Sprint activates Samsung's massive MIMO
Thursday, September 13, 2018 5G, MIMO, Sprint
Sprint has activated Samsung's 5G-ready massive MIMO solutions on its production 2.5 GHz TDD-LTE network.
Samsung said its massive MIMO can provide a way for operators to inject new capacity into their network without having to purchase more spectrum or add new base stations. It is being used by Sprint to significantly boost LTE network speeds and capacity for millions of U.S. customers, while improving network efficiencies through advanced beam-forming. Additionally, this helps provide Sprint with a seamless upgrade path to 5G New Radio (NR), utilizing the carrier's deep 2.5 GHz spectrum.
"We are excited to see Samsung MIMO solutions in use on Sprint's current LTE commercial network, which will help their customers experience the full benefits of network innovation," said Lyle Nyffeler, Vice President, Networks Division, Samsung Electronics America. "Our MIMO solutions are engineered to maximize 4G networks today, while offering a graceful, seamless path to a 5G future."
In February 2018, Sprint announced its selection of Samsung as a massive MIMO provider for their future 5G mobile network launch in the U.S..
Sprint's mobile hotspot hits 1 Gbps
Thursday, June 06, 2019 Sprint
Sprint is offering mobile hotspot from Inseego Corp. that boasts gigabit-speed performance and enterprise-grade security features.
The MiFi 8000 leverages LTE Advanced-Pro (category 18) technology and 5x carrier aggregation, resulting in higher peak data rates. It allows up to 15 Wi-Fi clients to connect in 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands simultaneously. It also offers IT admin controls, on-board VPN, guest Wi-Fi network, anti-hacking cybersecurity features and advanced enterprise-grade encryption protocols.
"The MiFi 8000 series of gigabit LTE mobile hotspot delivers everything our customers have come to expect from the MiFi brand, with compelling features such as best-in-class security with IT admin controls, the latest advancements in 4G LTE Advanced-Pro technology, and ultra-fast dual-band Wi-Fi," said Ashish Sharma, CMO and EVP IoT & Mobile Solutions at Inseego. "Inseego solutions provide the missing link for data-hungry enterprise users, SMB, and prosumers who want fast and reliable connections wherever they go, whether it's a domestic or an international business trip, their home office, or a remote field office."
Sprint delivers 5G at Google I/O event
Tuesday, May 07, 2019 Sprint
During Google's annual developer festival at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, Sprint is using Ericsson 5G Massive MIMO radios to deliver over-the-air dual-connectivity with 60 MHz of 2.5 GHz on LTE and 40 MHz of 2.5 GHz on 5G NR. Demonstrations include YouTube 4K video streaming, gaming, and augmented reality using the LG V50 ThinQ 5G.
"5G will drive new levels of innovation and progress around the world, and it's the developers that will make it happen," said Ryan Sullivan, Vice President of Product Engineering and Development at Sprint. "We're excited to work with the Android community as it develops disruptive new 5G services across all industries from entertainment to healthcare, energy, public safety, transportation and more."
Sprint continues to advocate for a merger with T-Mobile to rapidly build a nationwide 5G network.
http://newsroom.sprint.com/network
Sprint previews 5G launch, reports declining revenue
Sprint's 5G is currently on-air in a limited number of locations and the company plans to begin commercial service in parts of Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas and Kansas City by the end of June. 5G service in Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington D.C. Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington D.C. will also be introduced.
The announcement came as part of Sprint's 2018 financial report.
Sprint reported 2018 wireless service revenue of $22.5 billion, along with a net loss of $1.9 billion and operating income of $398 million, both of which included a preliminary non-cash charge of $2 billion. Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $12.8 billion in fiscal year 2018.
"Sprint delivered on its plan for fiscal 2018, as we met all of our financial guidance for the year," said Sprint CEO Michel Combes. "While we've made progress, there are certainly continued challenges to address, which will continue to put pressure on our service revenue and retail customer growth."
Further network updates
T-Mobile and Sprint promise Customer Experience Centers
Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Sprint, T-Mobile
Once their merger is complete, T-Mobile and Sprint will open five, new, state-of-the-art Customer Experience Centers around the United States. The facilities will offer T-Mobile's Team of Experts (TEX) service, which provides customers with personalized support. The companies estimate each of these facilities will create an average of 1,000 new jobs.
The first of the five new facilities will be built in Overland Park, Kansas.
"The heroes who work in our Customer Experience Centers show customers every day why they chose the Un-carrier – and that will not change with the New T-Mobile. With these five new Centers, we're going to give even more customers across the U.S. the rock star treatment they deserve!" said T-Mobile US Chief Executive Officer John Legere, who will lead New T-Mobile as CEO. "Choosing Overland Park as our first new Center site was a total no-brainer."
Sprint's first 5G data call using 2.5 GHz and Massive MIMO
Thursday, January 10, 2019 5G, Sprint
Sprint completed the first over-the-air 5G data transmission using 2.5 GHz and Massive MIMO. The test was carried on Sprint's live commercial network in San Diego.
The field test used global 5G standards on a commercial 3GPP 5G New Radio (NR) network with Sprint's 2.5 GHz spectrum, Nokia's dual-mode AirScale Massive MIMO radio, and a mobile smartphone form-factor test device powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem and antenna modules with integrated RF transceiver, RF front-end and antenna elements. The test demonstrated a seamless transition of connectivity between Sprint's 4G LTE Advanced and 5G network, while streaming YouTube videos, conducting Skype audio and video calls, and sending and receiving Instant Messages.
"This is a big step forward – Sprint 5G is now out of the lab and in the field as we prepare for our commercial launch in the first half of this year," said Dr. John Saw, Sprint's Chief Technology Officer. "We're making great progress towards giving Sprint customers the first mobile 5G experience in nine top cities with the first 5G smartphone in the U.S."
"Nokia is pleased to work on another 5G first with Sprint and Qualcomm," said Mike Murphy, Chief Technology Officer for North America, Nokia. "By using 2.5 GHz for 5G, existing sites nationwide can be re-used, with indoor coverage as well. This first standards-based call is thus a critical step towards Sprint's offering of a 5G service to its customers."
"Today's announcement marks a major milestone in 5G commercialization using sub-6 GHz spectrum, which provides wide area and high-performance connectivity," said Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We look forward to continue working with Sprint and Nokia in bringing high-capacity and multi-gigabit 5G networks to consumers in 2019."
Sprint said it is on track to launch its 5G service beginning in nine top cities in the first half of 2019. They include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The 5G build out is well under way with hundreds of Massive MIMO radios deployed last year.
Sprint's Magic Box home small cell adds Alexa
Monday, January 07, 2019 Sprint
Sprint introduced TREBL with Magic Box, a smart home small cell solution providing enhanced LTE coverage, integrated Alexa voice assistant and Harman Kardon sound
The unit has three built-in far field microphones, Bluetooth, and noise and echo cancellation. It provides fully integrated personal voice assistant and control of Smart Home Devices using the Amazon Alexa eco-system.
"We're excited to provide our customers with an improved at-home wireless data experience along with the added benefits we've built in for voice assistance and great audio," Robert Kingsley, head of small cell development at Sprint. "It was great to work with the team at HARMAN Connected Services to deliver on our vision for a combined small cell and smart home solution that is stylish enough to fit in any home."
T-Mobile and Sprint gets approvals from CFIUS, DOJ, DoD
Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Sprint, T-Mobile
T-Mobile US and Sprint received key regulatory approvals for their proposed merger transaction from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), as well as from the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense, collectively referred to as Team Telecom.
Team Telecom confirmed it has no objections to the merger and has withdrawn its request to defer action on the transaction.
"We are pleased to achieve both of these important milestones in the journey to build the New T-Mobile. We are a step closer to offering customers a supercharged disruptor that will create jobs from day one and deliver a real alternative to fixed broadband while delivering the first broad and deep nationwide 5G network for the United States," said John Legere, Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile. " These approvals assure the strong partnership both companies have with the U.S. government will continue with the New T-Mobile. We look forward to continuing our discussions with the remaining regulatory agencies reviewing our transaction to share our story and subsequently achieve similar positive results."
The companies expect the deal to be completed during the first half of 2019.
Sprint to offer HTC's 5G Mobile Smart Hub
Thursday, November 29, 2018 5G, Sprint
Sprint will offer a 5G mobile smart hub from HTC in the first half of 2019. The device will be powered by silicon from Qualcomm. Product details and pricing are not yet available.
Sprint said it is on track to launch its mobile 5G network in the first half of 2019 beginning in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., with additional markets to be announced.
"We're excited to continue building our 5G device portfolio and announce another way our customers can be among the first to experience Sprint 5G next year," said Dr. John Saw, Sprint chief technology officer. "This innovative product will allow customers on the go, at work or at home to enjoy Sprint 5G on multiple devices with incredibly fast connectivity for content sharing, mobile gaming, entertainment and so much more."
Sprint expands SD-WAN worldwide
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 SDWAN, Sprint
Sprint announed the worldwide expansion of its Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) services worldwide.
"With just one dedicated Sprint team and one simple portal in the cloud, an enterprise is now able to more intelligently manage all of its network resources across the globe with the geographic expansion of our SD-WAN services," said Mike Fitz, vice president of the Sprint Global Wireline Business Unit. "Intuitive cloud-based management allows thousands of applications to be easily managed across any network to any destination, all anchored by Sprint's worldwide, Tier 1 wireline network. The result is better network availability, unparalleled monitoring, superior converged application support, an improved user experience and overall reduced operational costs."
Deutsche Telekom approves Sprint+T-Mobile deal
Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Sprint, T-Mobile
T-Mobile received a written consent of Deutsche Telekom Holding B.V., holder of approximately 63.5% of T-Mobile Common Stock, in favor of the Sprint transaction.
Regulatory approvals are still pending. T-Mobile expects the deal will be completed in the first half of 2019.
"This is another step forward in creating the New T-Mobile, so we can deliver on our promise to bring robust competition to the 5G era, giving consumers more for less and creating jobs," said John Legere, Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile. "For more than five years, T-Mobile's Un-carrier strategy has disrupted the wireless industry, and together with Sprint we will continue our mission by securing U.S. leadership in nationwide 5G, creating a real alternative to fixed broadband and bringing a consumer-first mentality to entrenched giants. We can't wait to continue improving the wireless industry for all consumers as the New T-Mobile."


text:
Jaguar XJL the star in high-speed Game of Drones
September 19, 2017 southcapenetRegular Columns
Jaguar has staged a unique drone race in London to demonstrate the space and refined luxury of its long-wheelbase XJ saloon.
Brian Joss – High-speed drones piloted by professional racers flew through three cars during the race at Alexandra Palace, on a course marked out with 13 gates the same shape as an XJL rear door Travelling at speeds of nearly 100km/h, the drones navigated their way through the door-shaped gates lit in Phosphor Blue and Red to highlight the interior ambient lighting of the luxury cabin.
The Jaguar XJL: drone fly-through. Picture: Jaguar/ Motorpress
Brett Collis, drone pilot, said: "I've been racing drones in competition for years, but this is a first for me. The course was a great test, but the fact we were able to go at such speeds proves how much space the doors of the Jaguar XJL gave us. Despite having to fly through the cabin we were still pushing the drones to their top speeds."
With 127mm more rear legroom over the standard wheelbase XJ, the XJL gave drone pilots just the right amount of room to fly through.
Perfectly suited to those seeking comfort on the move, the XJL boasts an exquisite interior and sporting agility that makes for a commanding presence inside and out. This is thanks to features such as airline style reclining seats with massage function, increased headroom, fold-out tables and specially tuned rear suspension to enhance ride comfort.
Allied with 3.0-litre V6 engines available in petrol (250kW) and diesel (221kW), as well as a 5.0-litre V8 375kW petrol engine, owners can rest assured in the performance of whichever option they choose while enjoying the comfort inside the cabin.
Full of technology, the XJL shows new levels of connectivity and offers an effortless driving experience with features that include full LED headlights, all-wheel drive and All Surface Progress Control (ASPC), as well as the latest Touch Pro infotainment system.
Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar said: "Quality and comfort are always at the forefront of our minds and this is especially true for the Jaguar XJL. The long wheelbase gave us the space to create a passenger experience that is second to none. We might not have designed it with drone racing in mind, but it's a fun way to demonstrate the spacious environment we've created."
The drone pilots flew their craft while sitting in the back of the performance flagship for the XJ range – the new XJR575 – which boasts a 423kW power output, a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.4 seconds and top speed of 300km/h. Offering effortless refinement alongside acceleration, Jaguar Land Rover's 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine produces 700Nm of torque.
It comes with a choice of two bespoke new exterior colour finishes from Special Vehicle Operations, Velocity Blue and Satin Corris Grey, while the exterior also sports updates to the rear spoiler, side sills, front bumper and lower air intakes with gloss black surrounds.
Striking red brake callipers now accompany the 20-inch Farallon gloss black wheels, as part of an exterior refresh that brings new badges and twin bonnet louvres. A stylish final flourish comes inside the cabin, with bespoke embossed tread plates standing out alongside the intaglio and diamond-quilted seating.
The XJL and XJR575 are manufactured at Jaguar Land Rover's Castle Bromwich plant alongside the XE, XF and F-TYPE. Both are available in South Africa, with pricing starting at R1 755 900 for XJL, and R2 546 600 for the XJR575.
Watch the Game of Drones on YouTube: https://youtu.be/drebO5sAtEo
Cartoon – Moyane vs KPMG
Daimler Trucks team up with Israel's StoreDot, leader in electric charging

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


프로라소 화이트 비누는 그린티 성분과 오트밀 성분 성분으로 민감한 피부유형에 적합하다.
진하고 풍성한 거품을 쉽게 만들 수 있으며 매일 사용하는 경우 약 6개월간 사용할 수 있다.
성분: Water, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Fragrance, Menthol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl, Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Etidronic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA.
Proraso White Shaving Soap has fresh notes of lime and apple and is suitable for sensitive skin that irritates easily. With new packaging and a natural formula combining Green Tea and Oatmeal, Proraso White Shaving Soap provides a rich, creamy lather and is best used with a shaving brush. A single tub will last approximately 6 months when used on a daily basis. Contains no parabens, silicons, or mineral oils. Vegan. Made in Florence, Italy.
Water, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Fragrance, Menthol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl, Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Flower/Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Etidronic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA.


text:
Q: python 3.7.1 cannot append inline after split I am currently trying to participate in a few one-liner contests and I noticed some weird behaviour that make it hard.
this

"a,b,c".split(",").append("d")

returns None, while this:

l = "a,b,c".split(",")
l.append("d")

correctly returns ["a","b","c","d"]
Is it a known issue or is it normal behaviour? Documentation says that split returns a list of strings.
I am using python 3.7.1, version from October 22 in the Arch official repos.

A: l.append("d") returns None just like the other call. It mutates the list l which is called on though (which it also does in the other call, but there you have no reference to the list object):
>>> l = "a,b,c".split(",")
>>> l.append("d") is None  # the append call still returns None
True
>>> l  # it does, however, mutate the list
['a', 'b', 'c', 'd']

In order to get the same result in a single line, you can just use plain concatenation:
l = "a,b,c".split(",") + ["d"]

If (for some reason) you want to use list.append and get the resulting list in a one-liner, you would have to resort to some evil-doing like molesting a generator or comprehension for side effects (don't do that in serious code!):
l = next(x for x in ("a,b,c".split(","),) if not x.append("d"))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Join WeWork member Andrew Fisher, author of his recent book The Cross-Border Family Wealth Guide, for a discussion of the unique financial challenges faced by foreign workers living in the U.S.
International entrepreneurs in the U.S. are often frustrated by the financial complexities they face, including: 401(k) and retirement, taxes, banking and investing, foreign asset reporting, real estate, and immigration.
All international WeWork members and our guests are welcome. The agenda includes a 20min presentation, followed by Q&A. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served.


text:
What you really need to know about Grant-in-Aid
York violates Collective Agreement and Arbitrator's awards; unilaterally changes Unit 1 & 3 funding!
Members of Unit 1 and 3 will see that their paycheque is lower than usual. This is because the employer has chosen to apply unilateral changes to how you are paid, in violation of the very principle of collective bargaining. The union is resisting these changes. See below for what to expect. You can also read our "Why Is My Paycheque So Low?" handout (GIA PDF, plain text).
What is York doing?
The employer is taking Grant-in-Aid, which has been paid as part of the monthly paycheque for Units 1 and 3 for decades, and funnelling it through the student account under the new name Supplementary Graduate Assistance (SGA). They are doing this by adding a brand new article to the collective agreements, which was neither agreed to nor awarded by the arbitrator.
York is trying to alter our Collective Agreements without our consent, adding new language at their whim. They first claimed they had the right to add this language because the arbitrator had awarded it; he has not. Then, the employer insisted that the arbitrator had "implied" his agreement; we showed that the employer never even suggested it to the arbitrator in their submissions. Finally, faced with the evidence, York tried to claim that our bargaining team had agreed during bargaining but there is no evidence of this. In fact, this new language was part of their last pass to our bargaining team during the strike, and therefore York clearly did not believe we had been agreed to it at the time.
The worst part of these shifting goal posts is that the union expressed a willingness to cooperate with the employer on these changes if there was a compelling reason to do so. This offer of cooperation has effectively been rejected by the decision to move forward with unilateral changes.
York cannot unilaterally decide on new language to place in our collective agreements. This is a violation of the very principle of collective bargaining. Accepting this would set an inexpressibly dangerous precedent.
This new Article was neither signed off on in bargaining, nor part of the Hayes settlement. There are ways to make changes like this in-between bargaining rounds, York is aware of these processes and chose to ignore them. Allowing York to unilaterally insert language into our collective agreements would send the signal that they are free to alter our agreements at their will.
York has announced the change to the GIA and has described how the new SGA will be disbursed, but right now all we have is York's word on how this will work. The new article they tried to sneak in to our collective agreements is vague and history has taught us that language must be airtight or else there is no guarantee York will not turn on the commitments they made.
The language York tried to sneak in as this new article is unacceptable for a number of reasons:
Members' monthly paycheques will be significantly smaller.
The Article offers no explicit protections against the SGA being automatically used to pay tuition or existing debts within the student account.
The language of the new Article is vague and allows for payments to be made once a term, instead of the announced once a month.
Refund requests from Student Accounts are notoriously slow and the Article provides no guarantees around when the SGA refunds must be cleared.
York has provided the Local with little to no information about the status of the rollout or how members' pay will fully be affected, despite being in communication for months regarding these proposed changes. York sent a message to the community indicating that SGA will be paid into student accounts on the 25th of each month and would be automatically refunded if ETF is set up. However, at this time, all that is guaranteed is that Unit 1 and 3 members will no longer be receiving the GIA payment on their monthly paycheque.
GIA for a 1.0 TAship over the Fall/Winter should be $3954 divided over eight months for $494.25/month. If you have less than a 1.0 TAship the amount is pro-rated, for instance a 0.5 TAship would receive $1977. GAs (Unit 3) receive $1942 for a 0.5 GAship. GIA payments are only paid in the months you have a TA/GA contract. If you have any questions please contact your Chief Steward or a Staff Representative.
The language York tried to insert into our agreements was vague and they have not been forthcoming about the changes. All that can really be said is that a similar amount to the original GIA will either be deposited in student accounts on a monthly basis or as a lump sum, date and frequency unknown. We are unsure whether members will have to request a refund or not, and are doubtful that York has corrected the slow and opaque process through which refunds are cleared. A portion or the entirety of the SGA may be used to cover existing debts within the student account, which takes away the financial freedom of members to choose how to use their income and when.
What if these changes leave you struggling financially?
Even if York automatically refunds SGA once its been applied to student accounts there may be significant delays in members receiving their money. This could mean members are unable to pay their rent and other bills, an issue we have repeatedly raised with York.
If York's change to the GIA payment structure has left you struggling to pay your bills or rent we ecourage you to apply for the Ways and Means Fund. Ways and Means is available to CUPE 3903 members to help cover unexpected financial hardships. For more information see: 3903.cupe.ca/ways-and-means-fund
What is the Local doing?
We have filed a grievance at Step 4, contesting these unilateral changes. Additionally, as per the Hayes' settlement, the arbitrator remains seized in any dispute regarding his award. Consequently, we will be taking this violation of our collective agreements and the arbitrator's awards directly to the arbitrator for resolution, if the employer continues to claim that Hayes "implied" any kind of settlement.
There is a process between bargaining rounds by which agreements can be made. However, York has chosen not to follow this route and meaningfully engage the union in the implementation of this particular change in the funding model; York has again shown their disdain for collective bargaining and how hollow their 'desire' for better labour relations really is.
As more information becomes available, the Local will ensure members are adequately informed about how to best navigate this sudden change to the funding structure.
We're asking members to keep us informed of how York is implementing this change, and its impact on you.
Check your student account for the SGA payment. Please let us know if…
Your GIA/SGA was not deposited in your student account by the 25th.
Your GIA/SGA was in the wrong amount.
Your GIA/SGA was used to offset student debts instead of fully refunded.
You had to request a refund instead of it being automatic.
You had any other issues.
Fill out this SGA Report Form. You can also contact your departmental Steward, the Chief Steward for your Unit or Baolinh, our Staff Representative for further support.


Currently viewing the tag: "specials"
Black Friday Blowout Sale! Savings Up To 84% Are Available For A Limited Time at NJOY.com!
Looking for a new model of e-cigarette? Or to try one with minimal cost? Here are some great deals on electronic cigarettes for this 2013 Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Blu E-Cigarettes are offering 40% off on select kits! Green Smoke is offering 20% off! V2 Cigs is offering 25% off! Happy Thanksgiving!


text:
Q: Displaying menu after click on Button: why is my code not working? I have a fragment with a single Button. My goal is to display menu_language.xml whenever the user clicks on that button. I tried to find an answer online and that's the closest I could get to it... but it's not working: if I press the button nothing happens. What's wrong in this code?
    @Nullable
    @Override
    public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container, Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        View fgm = inflater.inflate(R.layout.fragment_settings, container, false);
        Button changeLanguageBtn = (Button) fgm.findViewById(R.id.change_language_button);
        changeLanguageBtn.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View view) {
                getActivity().openOptionsMenu();
            }
        });
        return fgm;
    }

    @Override
    public void onCreateContextMenu(ContextMenu menu, View view, ContextMenu.ContextMenuInfo menuInfo) {
        super.onCreateContextMenu(menu, view, menuInfo);
        if (view.getId() == R.id.change_language_button) { // is this even necessary?
            MenuInflater inflater = getActivity().getMenuInflater();
            inflater.inflate(R.menu.menu_language, menu);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onContextItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
        switch (item.getItemId()) {
            case R.id.action_english:
                // switch to English
                return true;
            case R.id.action_italian:
                // switch to Italian
                return true;
            case R.id.action_french:
                // switch to French
                return true;
            default:
                return super.onContextItemSelected(item);
        }
    }

Here's the xml of the menu:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<menu xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">

    <group android:checkableBehavior="single">
        <item
            android:id="@+id/action_italian"
            android:title="@string/italian" />
        <item
            android:id="@+id/action_english"
            android:title="@string/english" />
        <item
            android:id="@+id/action_french"
            android:title="@string/french" />
    </group>
</menu>

A: You need to implement Options menu, you implemented context menu.
see instructions here

A: I think you have the wrong method (if you want to add a menu to the ActionBar:
public void onCreateContextMenu(ContextMenu menu, View view, ContextMenu.ContextMenuInfo menuInfo)

If you read that method's Javadoc:
/**
     * Called when a context menu for the {@code view} is about to be shown.
     * Unlike {@link #onCreateOptionsMenu}, this will be called every
     * time the context menu is about to be shown and should be populated for
     * the view (or item inside the view for {@link AdapterView} subclasses,
     * this can be found in the {@code menuInfo})).
     *

     * Use {@link #onContextItemSelected(android.view.MenuItem)} to know when an
     * item has been selected.
     *

     * The default implementation calls up to
     * {@link Activity#onCreateContextMenu Activity.onCreateContextMenu}, though
     * you can not call this implementation if you don't want that behavior.
     *

     * It is not safe to hold onto the context menu after this method returns.
     * {@inheritDoc}
     */

Whereas:
public void onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu, MenuInflater inflater) {
says:
/**
     * Initialize the contents of the Activity's standard options menu.  You
     * should place your menu items in to <var>menu</var>.  For this method
     * to be called, you must have first called {@link #setHasOptionsMenu}.  See
     * {@link Activity#onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu) Activity.onCreateOptionsMenu}
     * for more information.
     *
     * @param menu The options menu in which you place your items.
     *
     * @see #setHasOptionsMenu
     * @see #onPrepareOptionsMenu
     * @see #onOptionsItemSelected
     */

So If you want to add a menu to the activity, you have to use the later. Now if you wanted to show a contextual menu anchored to the button you pressed, then look at PopupMenu class.
Regarding your is this needed? comment, the answer is most likely no in your case.


Webster's definition for the word "something"—which it labels a pronoun, an adverb, and an adjective—is, "Some indeterminate and unspecified thing." The OED adds, "material or immaterial." That seems often to be what the word signifies in a poem. Shakespeare loves the word for its full range of possibilities, banal to sublime. Hamlet in particular cherishes it: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," he declares and also speaks of the "dread of something after death." I like best the moment when the witches hail Macbeth in act 4, scene 1, of the Scottish Play. They've been mixing up quite a gruesome brew. One of them, sensing Macbeth's presence, cackles, "By the pricking of my thumbs / Something wicked this way comes." And certainly Macbeth has become a kind of inhuman creature by the time he seeks out these weird sisters for a final prophecy. His own wickedness has dehumanized him. He's a monster recognizable only to other monsters. And if you consider the stew in the witches' cauldron, with its ghastly range of animal and human parts, Macbeth may be seen as an ingredient, nothing more than a part (tongue of dog, eye of newt), and yet perhaps the thing that completes the recipe and binds the spell. He is the wicked "something" that is coming, the unnameable magic power he contains in his own fate. "Something," then, is not only a pronoun for Shakespeare, but in the case of Macbeth, it is an engine of the tragic plot.
The final epithet or metaphorical name for prayer, "something understood," may be the opposite of what the witches imply by "Something wicked." And yet "Prayer" is constructed as a kind of charm, too—as saying the rosary might be—as various in its parts as the witches' cauldron; like "the rest" at the bottom of the "glass of blessings" in Herbert's "The Pulley," that "something" dwells below the other ingredients, like a precipitate or distillation of them, or a support undergirding prayer itself. For Herbert, prayer is an act of faith. It may bring us closer to understanding that mysterious "something" that is God. But more crucially it reveals that God understands that mysterious "something" which is ourselves.
In both cases—Shakespeare's and Herbert's—the pronoun "something" becomes as meaningful, as charged, as any noun. It is a word with such ambiguous power that it continues to haunt poetry both as a placekeeper for a better word and as the perfect word, especially when there is no adequate word for the inexpressible thing, terrifying or transcendent, sublime or ultimately consoling. I want to talk about uses of this word and the practical and at times philosophical work it does in a poem.
Mark Jarman's latest collection of poetry is "The Heronry" (Sarabande Books, 2017). He is Centennial Professor of English at Vanderbilt University.
When Mary Ruefle visited Sewanee to receive the 2017 Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry at the beginning of March, we brought fellow-poet Michael Dickman in to give a lecture on her work. While we had him here, we asked him to talk about her poetry with an English class at Saint Andrews Sewanee, a private school (grades 6-12) near the University campus. Here he is in one of their classrooms, reading her poem "Proscenium Arch".


Prepare your social media feed or wallet. Family pajamas are back, and just in time for Christmas morning.
It was always tradition in my family for us to get new pajamas on Christmas Eve so we could be super comfy and festive while opening presents the next morning.
But the pajamas never matched. They all had Christmas or winter themes but we weren't all dressed up as reindeer or elves. The line was drawn and there was no passing into that realm of foolery.
Sure, the pajamas are cute for photos to post on Instagram or Facebook, but they're especially wonderful for a good laugh.
And don't worry about hopping on Amazon or some obscure website to find that perfect matching set; for example, Target just came out with a new line of family pajamas – the family pooch is not excluded, either!
There are so many choices, too! Like a family of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! Or, if your family is more into Harry Potter, try this matching set!
And Target isn't the only one – Kohl's, Walmart and Macy's are in on the trend too. You can't escape the matching pajamas!
I'm not going to deny that I would do this with a family of my own because you know I will. They're cute, comfy and shows a sense of family unity.
But at the same time, I feel like this is a huge capitalistic move preying on the vulnerable Christmas spirits of American families.
For example, the Harry Potter pajama set goes for $16.99 for a 10-year-old kid, $12.99 for a 4-year-old and then $24.99 for the adults. Depending on how big your family is that adds up – fast!
Also, let's be realistic about the family photo you imagine yourself getting out of this. It will be a disaster just like every other one. The kids won't sit still and the dog may just pee on the carpet, prompting you to just give up.
All of that struggle and grief just for an organized family portrait is not worth it, when a candid one could suffice and your children could just enjoy their Christmas break as kids – filled with joy, excitement and mystery.
So, are you going to jump on the bandwagon and snag a set of matching pjs for the family? If so, tell us which set you chose in the comments!


Designed and developed specifically for pit-crew needs.
Bonded flame- resistant aramid fiber main construction for optimized levels of performance, comfort and improved safety.
Silicon FR® coated patches which incorporates foams for impact absorber level on knuckle and fingers.
of grip, abrasion resistance and shock absorption when using a wheel gun.
Alpinestars cuff opening design incorporates 180° elasticated wrist for secure tight fit and a silicone tab for ease to take off the glove.
Fully embroidered graphic offers a high and durable design.


horse trough bathtub for sale galvanized water hot tub design galvanized bathtub for sale galvanized bathroom sinks for sale.
coral king size bedding pink comforters bedding sets for bed bath with regard to soft comforter coral king size comforter.
wall mounted garage vacuums house help garage vac pro bissell garage pro wet dry vacuum cleaner.
crown molding corner victorian crown molding victorian crown molding wallpaper border.
activity gym baby mat toys large centre play skip hop blanket arch toddlers bright starts bright starts activity gym pink bright starts prop and play mat pink.
low work and water dwarf grass seed close up low water grass seed can you water new grass seed too much.
home contemporary kids bed for two kids find home improvement stores near me.
applying adhesive laminate flooring adhesive self adhesive laminate flooring threshold strips.


Former Northampton midfielder James Malcolm Hunt, born in Derby, rejoined Ian Atkins at United in the 2002 close-season. His style of play is the perfect complement to Bobby Ford, and his spectacular solo goal at Ashton Gate in the Worthington Cup shows that he can turn it on too. Also looks very comfortable in a three-man midfield. Unfortunately an injury which resulted in a broken toe caused Hunt to lose a lot of fitness after Christmas 2002 and he failed to regain his form for the rest of the season.


More than just a room to rest in, Dayuse.com offers an ideal environment for workers. Whether you need a quiet place to sit and think or inspiration from new surroundings, hotels are the new working-space.
Dayuse.com turns hotels into a playground for your work life.
Dayuse.com offers you the opportunity to work differently and hold client meetings in new, unusual spaces thanks to our daytime bookings.
Sick of all the noise in your coworking space? Fancy a change of scenery paired with a good wifi connection to get the creative juices flowing? You can now move your office for just a few hours. Traveling for work and need a place to work between meetings? Want to make the most of that stopover to finish off your project? Whichever airport, train station or business centre you're near, we'll find the right hotel just around the corner.
So you're supposed to treat your clients like kings... But they can be so demanding! It's time to blow their socks off... Use Dayuse.com to find an incredible setting for your next meeting, shoot or interview and make sure they never forget. With prices up to 75% less than traditional overnight bookings, our customer service is there to help you find the right hotel for your project, however crazy it may be.
With hotels in 23 countries, Dayuse.com works exclusively with handpicked establishments to meet our customers' high expectations for a unique business experience. Whether you're looking for 4 stars, the authentic look of a boutique hotel or the convenience of a room right by the business centre, Dayuse.com will show you business in a whole new light.
And because we know business is sometimes unpredictable, cancellation is free up until the very last minute. We have adapted our service to suit your needs for flexibility by offering different time slots depending on the hotel you pick. No bank details will be necessary upon booking, payment is only due once you pick up the key, for 100% discretion.
By booking a room on Dayuse.com, you are choosing a professional service to fit your needs so that you can make the most of hotel rooms in a whole new way. From business to pleasure, our partner hotels have what it takes (spas, afternoon tea, gyms…), reasons to book a room on Dayuse.com could even include a quick nap between two flights or a rendezvous with your loved one. Whatever the reason, there's always a hotel near you to fit the job.


text:
package com.github.dnvriend.aws.lambda.handler.test

import cats.Show
import com.github.agourlay.cornichon.resolver.Resolvable
import io.circe.{ Encoder, Json => CirceJson }
import play.api.libs.json.{ Format, Json, Writes }

trait CornichonCircePlayBridge {
  implicit def jsonResolvableForm[A <: Product: Format]: Resolvable[A] = new Resolvable[A] {
    def toResolvableForm(data: A): String = showJson.show(data)

    def fromResolvableForm(s: String): A = Json.parse(s).as[A]
  }

  implicit def showJson[A <: Product: Writes]: Show[A] = (data: A) => {
    Json.toJson(data).toString
  }

  implicit def JsonEncoder[A <: Product: Writes]: Encoder[A] = (data: A) => {
    io.circe.parser.parse(Json.toJson(data).toString).getOrElse(CirceJson.Null)
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
La prima edizione del talent show Tali e quali (spin-off di Tale e quale show) è andata in onda il 22 novembre 2019 in una puntata unica, sempre con la conduzione di Carlo Conti in prima serata su Rai 1.

La giuria è stata composta da Loretta Goggi, Giorgio Panariello e Vincenzo Salemme affiancati da giudici speciali: Vanessa Incontrada, Gigi D'Alessio e Antonella Clerici.

L'edizione è stata vinta da Veronica Perseo con l'interpretazione di Lady Gaga in Shallow.

Il programma
Questo spin-off prevede una gara fra dodici persone comuni (non professionisti e non facenti parte del mondo dello spettacolo) scelte tra coloro che hanno inviato alla redazione del programma i video amatoriali delle loro imitazioni durante le puntate dell'edizione appena terminata.
Ciascuno di essi è impegnato nell'imitazione di personaggi celebri del mondo della canzone attraverso la reinterpretazione dei brani di questi ultimi dal vivo. Al termine della serata sono sottoposti al giudizio di una giuria. Ogni giurato dichiara i suoi voti per ciascun concorrente, assegnando da cinque a sedici punti. Inoltre, ciascun concorrente in gara deve dare cinque punti ad uno dei concorrenti o a sé stesso, che si sommano a quelli assegnati dalla giuria, determinando così la classifica della puntata.

Cast

Concorrenti

Uomini

 Leonardo Blanchard
 Fabio Cacace
 Armando Cesarano
 Adonà Mamo
 Alberto Pastorelli
 Christian Pighi
 Claudio Sacco

Donne

 Valentina Caturelli
 Stella Grillo
 Letizia Olivieri
 Rita Palange
 Veronica Perseo

Giudici
La giuria è composta da:

 Loretta Goggi
 Giorgio Panariello
 Vincenzo Salemme

Giudici ospiti

 Vanessa Incontrada
 Gigi D'Alessio
 Antonella Clerici

Coach
Coach dei concorrenti sono:

 Daniela Loi: vocal coach
 Matteo Becucci: vocal coach
 Maria Grazia Fontana: vocal coach
 Fabrizio Mainini: coreografo
 Emanuela Aureli: imitatrice
 Antonio Mezzancella: vocal coach
 Pinuccio Pirazzoli: direttore d'orchestra

Puntata
La prima edizione di Tali e quali è andata in onda come puntata speciale il 22 novembre 2019 ed è stata vinta da Veronica Perseo, che ha interpretato Lady Gaga in Shallow.

 Giudici ospiti: Vanessa Incontrada, Gigi D'Alessio e Antonella Clerici
 Ospiti: Marco Masini ed Alexia
 Nota: ciascun concorrente ha assegnato i suoi cinque punti al concorrente dell'esibizione successiva, e l'ultimo li ha assegnati al primo.

Ascolti

Note

Collegamenti esterni

1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
What the tales of the 'Mountain Mama' can teach us about ignoring hesitation.
Ryan Puno
Nature Valley
Today, Amelia Mayer is known by many as the "Mountain Mama," but when it came to adventures with her own mama growing up, she wasn't into it.
When she was just 1 year old, Amelia's parents took her hiking up the glaciers and mountains surrounding her home in Alaska.
She may have been in the great outdoors often, but young Amelia had to be bribed with strawberries and pieces of chocolate.
All images via Amelia Mayer, used with permission.
Everything changed when she was around 7 years old — the same age her eldest son is now. For the first time, Amelia realized what made the outdoors so magical. She was hiking up "Lazy Pete" — a mountain you have to be anything but lazy to conquer.
"I clearly remember running to the end of it," she says, "and feeling that sense of accomplishment."
That sense of accomplishment went from being afraid and hesitant to a woman who discovered her calling.
As she got older, Amelia's love for the great outdoors only grew stronger — she even hiked and camped after her high school prom.
She'd take any excuse to be outdoors. In college, it became an even bigger part of her life. "I had a quarter where I had classes only two days a week, so I would literally go up to Mount Baker and go snow-shooting three days a week."
Once she started a family with her husband Bill, her passion for the outdoors went to a level she never thought possible.
Bill is a wildland firefighter and, believe it or not, was much more skilled than Amelia when it came to conquering the outdoors. "My husband really challenged me," she says. "To go beyond what I had known before and to get my past my mental limitations."
It's the same mentality they knew they wanted to instill in their kids — Jack (8), Peter (6), Liza (3), and Mara (1). "I want them to be able to feel comfortable enough to surpass even our knowledge," says Amelia. "Seek out something and be able to pass it on to the next generation."
Not many mothers would take on the task of looking after four kids while also keeping an eye out for elk, moose, and bears.
For Amelia, though, it's more like a typical Tuesday afternoon. The full-time mom, who lives in Yellowstone National Park, runs the popular "Tales of a Mountain Mama" blog and spends her days taking her children on epic adventures and offering practical advice for other parents on how to keep family adventures exciting and safe through her online program, "Outdoor Mom Academy."
The coolest part? Amelia's kids are learning the kind of skills that would intimidate most adults.
Whether that's rafting down a river, going cross-country skiing, or in some cases, dealing with wild animals.
In fact, those skills were put to the test when a bear unknowingly entered their campsite on one particular hike. "I turned around and I looked at the tent and literally right by the tent," Amelia explains, "the bear was standing there and my daughter was in the tent."
Immediately, Amelia grabbed her daughter while the family cleared the campsite of any food that might attract more bears and slowly made their way to safety inside their car.
It was an eye-opening moment, but one that Amelia knew her family had the strength and resolve to deal with.
Why? Whether it's a full-day river float or a 12-hour hike, these adventures serve as both confidence boosters and unparalleled family bonding experiences.
There's just something special about the bond created when you take your family off the grid and out of the comfort zone.
"Obviously, the outdoors provides a lot of unexpected challenges," says Amelia. "That's the beauty of it. We're learning those challenges as a family."
The great outdoors will always hit you with challenge after challenge. But when you push past your hesitation, more often than not, you'll surprise yourself.
Tackling tremendous feats in nature has helped her children build confidence at an early age, she says. "Pushing them just enough that they can see their strengths and the things that they can do."
The family continues to grow — it was on a backpacking trip along the Indian Creek Trail that Amelia announced she was pregnant with her fourth child.
Now, she has a fifth on the way, and it hasn't slowed her down.
"With getting outside, a lot of the limitations people put on themselves is the fear of the unknown," she says. "And I think once you get past that … we can really find great freedom in what we can do."
"There's a great strength in saying yes to adventures."
Professional tidier Marie Kondo says she's 'kind of given up' after having three kids
Hearing Kondo say, 'My home is messy,' is sparking joy for moms everywhere.
Marie Kondo/YouTube
Marie Kondo playing with her daughters.
Marie Kondo's book, "The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up," has repeatedly made huge waves around the world since it came out in 2010. From eliminating anything that didn't "spark joy" from your house to folding clothes into tiny rectangles and storing them vertically, the KonMari method of maintaining an organized home hit the mark for millions of people. The success of her book even led to two Netflix series.
It also sparked backlash from parents who insisted that keeping a tidy home with children was not so simple. It's one thing to get rid of an old sweater that no longer brings you joy. It's entirely another to toss an old, empty cereal box that sparks zero joy for you, but that your 2-year-old is inexplicably attached to.
To be fair, Kondo never forced her way into anyone's home and made them organize it her way. But also to be fair, she didn't have kids when she wrote her best-selling book on keeping a tidy home. The reality is that keeping a home organized and tidy with children living in it is a whole other ballgame, as Kondo has discovered now that she has three kids of her own.
"My home is messy," she admitted in a recent webinar, according to The Washington Post, "but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life."
Despite the Schadenfreude many parents may feel at Kondo's confession that kids change things, her reasoning for letting things go is actually right in line with her philosophy of embracing joy.
"Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times," she said. "I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home."
Kondo has offered tips for tidying with kids at home since she became a mom, and they're pretty solid. But as any parent can attest, some children are naturally neater than others, and how many kids you have makes a big difference as well.
Kondo gave birth to her third child in 2021, so she's currently in the adorable hell that is toddlerland. Research has also found that parents of three kids are the most stressed, so if Kondo has found a way to enjoy time with her kids and create more balance in her life by letting go of her tidiness standards, more power to her.
Her new book, "Marie Kondo's Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life," focuses on designing your living space so it works for you. "Kurashi" loosely translates to "way of life" or "the ideal way of spending our time," and Kondo says it's about seeing the world through the lens of what matters most.
"I believe that when we consciously cherish something precious, we deepen our relationship with it," she shares on her website. "This, in turn, deepens our bonds with other things in our lives, bringing out the best in them and in ourselves."
Applying that philosophy to family, Kondo's "giving up" on tidying all the time makes perfect sense. If spending quality time with your children sparks more joy than keeping your belongings organized just so, then that's what you should do.
Kudos to Kondo for publicly acknowledging that having kids has altered how her home looks and for validating what so many parents have felt in the face of unrealistic expectations of tidiness. She could have kept up a front of always being on top of organization and having a perpetually tidy home, but she didn't. Here's to her willingness to share the reality, here's to embracing joy in the fleeting time we have with our children, and here's to letting go of the rules that might interfere with that, even if it means humbly admitting defeat in the face of our kids' messes.
Therapist with ADHD explains how she 'learned to clean as a messy person' ›
Tidying up can do more than 'spark joy.' It can help your kids be academic rockstars. ›
Is cleaning up really good for your mind and body? We asked an expert. ›
YouTube star MrBeast sponsors 1,000 people's cataract surgery to help them see again
"I had never heard of MrBeast so I almost hung up. But gratefully did not hang up."
MrBeast YouTube Screenshot
YouTube star sponsors 1,000 people's cataract surgery
Blindness touches people's lives around the world and YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, more popularly known as MrBeast, is trying to do something about it. Donaldson made it his mission to help 1,000 people regain their eyesight with the help of Dr. Jeff Levenson, an ophthalmologist and surgeon in Jacksonville, Florida.
Levenson has been operating a program called "Gift of Sight" for over 20 years. The program provides free cataract surgery to uninsured people who are legally blind for free, so long as they meet certain criteria. Levenson had never heard of Donaldson, and he almost hung up on him when the YouTube star called to ask about a partnership.
"I had never heard of MrBeast so I almost hung up. But gratefully did not hang up," Levenson told CNN.
After figuring out that Donaldson was indeed a real person who wanted to help others, the duo called around the Jacksonville area to determine the people who needed help the most. They got their list of clients from free clinics and homeless shelters, which covered the United States portion of the surgeries.
Donaldson and Levenson were able to provide surgery to 40 people in Florida, and if you know anything about MrBeast, you know that some of those folks left with more than just their eyesight. Several of the patients, who were just thrilled to have their eyesight back, were gifted with thousands of dollars. In the video, one woman fell to the floor when Donaldson told her that he was also giving her $10,000, and another family burst into tears when he handed over a $50,000 check for college tuition. One teen was given his first car, a Tesla.
Person holding eyeglasses in front of eye chart
Photo by David Travis on Unsplash
The enormous act of kindness didn't stop with Florida. Levenson is also the chief medical officer of SEE International, an organization that provides free eye care internationally. It was through this nonprofit that Donaldson was able to help other patients in need in several countries including Mexico, Jamaica, Vietnam and Brazil, among others.
Not all blindness is curable, but in the video, Levenson tells Donaldson, "Half of all blindness in the world is people who need a 10-minute surgery."
This means that those who don't have the means to afford this surgery may simply have to resign themselves to being blind, even though there's a quick cure. And Levenson knows firsthand what it feels like to lose your vision due to cataracts because he also had to have the surgery years ago, which sparked his passion for helping others see again.
Donaldson is known for his generosity and has amassed over 130 million subscribers on his YouTube page, so it's not a surprise that he would try to team up with Levenson to do more good. After all the surgeries were complete, Donaldson had achieved his goal of curing 1,000 people of blindness, but he had one more gift in store.
At the end of the video, MrBeast was back in Florida with Levenson when he dropped unsuspected news on the doctor. Donaldson had donated $100,000 to Levenson's organization.
"It'll bring sight to thousands of people," Levenson replied with his hand over his chest.
Watch the moving video below:
29 simple acts of kindness that might just turn someone's whole day around. ›
His grandson needed a kidney. And to save him, he gave his kidney to someone else. ›
YouTubers joined together to combat climate change by planting 20 million trees ›
Parenting hack: Mom makes edible sensory play sand by putting Cheerios in a blender
No sandbox? No problem.
via ElleTheVirgo/TikTok
A mom makes sensory sand by putting Cheerios in a blender.
A parenting influencer who goes by the name @ellethevirgo on TikTok has shared a brilliant hack that can turn a simple box of Cheerios into a fun sensory sand experience. The great part is that the sand is edible, so you don't have to worry if your child puts some in their mouth, which they will inevitably do.
The recipe for Cheerios sensory sand is pretty simple:
Grab a box of Cheerios (avoid honey nut flavor unless you want your kid to have a sticky sensory experience).
Grind the cereal by dumping it into a blender or food processor. You can also get a rockier texture by putting it in a sealable bag and grinding it with a rolling pin.
Pour the sand into a bin and add some scoops and containers for the full sensory experience.
Now, here's where we'll include our mandatory disclaimer: Children should only play with the sensory sand under adult supervision. Always make sure the bin is clean and the sand is replaced before every use.
Parents on TikTok couldn't believe they hadn't heard of the hack before.
"Yess!! So if she accidentally eats the sand it's ok bc it's freaking Cheerios," Nelly Gomez wrote.
"Wait, what? Holy hell this is genius," Momma Cusses added.
@ellethevirgo
🌞🐠🌴 #fyp #sensoryplay #upcycling
A few commenters were concerned that the sensory sand may encourage small children to eat real sand. This is a legitimate criticism because, according to doctors, sand can be a choking hazard. "Isn't she going to be trained that all sand will taste like Cheerio dust now?" Eric asked.
Tom Brady says it's important that his kids fail ›
Dad's hilarious parenting hack to son to smile ›
Couple's genius 'period boards' trend takes over the internet: 'It ... ›
Gaël Monfils makes tennis a must-see with his entertaining antics
His nickname, "The Entertainer," is fitting.
Tennis Legend TikTok screenshots
Gaël Monfils makes tennis a must-see.
Tennis isn't always the most entertaining sport to watch, especially if you're not particularly interested in seeing a ball get slapped across a net at 1,000,000 mph approximately 17,000 times. You could probably get whiplash or eye strain if you focused too hard on it. While some people love the sport, others need a little more than grunts and sneaker sounds to capture their attention.
If you're in the group of people who need to be entertained, look no further than Gaël Monfils, a professional French tennis player that has earned the nickname, "The Entertainer." Monfils turned pro in 2004 and has multiple championship matches under his belt, and yet he still takes the time to be...extra while playing.
In a compilation video uploaded to TikTok, we see the 36-year-old tennis player dancing after hitting the ball across the net just out of his opponent's reach. But of course, he also doesn't hit the ball like your average player, either. In one part of the video, Monfils jumps up extremely high and bicycle kicks as he hits the ball with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Nearly every hit he makes is either over or under-exaggerated—there doesn't seem to be an in-between—and the showboating after scoring a point seems to make the crowd go wild. In a different video, even the announcers sound entertained by his shenanigans. If nothing else, it's clear that Monfils is having a great time on the court, delighting himself and others.
His impromptu dances are especially interesting because there's no music on the court, but that doesn't stop The Entertainer from busting a move. If you're one of those people that just isn't into tennis, he may make you want to watch a match or two.
Check out the compilation below:
@tennis.legend
The Entertainer @Gaël Monfils ! ❤ 🎥 @ATP Tour | @Tennis TV #tennis #tennislegend #tennistiktok #tennisplayer #tenis #tennistv #atptour #atp #atpworldtour #gaelmonfils #monfils #tennispro #tennismatch #tennispoint #tennisfans #tenis
Tennis legend Andre Agassi is trying to teach kids to read in a new, very fascinating way. ›
To the 1 in 8 deeply misguided men who think they could score on Serena Williams ›
Roger Federer made a promise to a young fan in 2017. He fulfilled it in the sweetest way. ›


text:
Press Release from Ohio Senators Brenner & Antonio
Senators Brenner & Antonio Announce Creation of Ohio Developmental Disabilities Caucus
April 2, 2019: Senators Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) and Nickie Antonio (D-Cuyahoga) today announced details for the inaugural meeting of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Caucus, which will be exploring new and innovative ways to provide support and improve the quality of life for Ohioans living with disabilities. The bipartisan co-chairs plan to hold the first meeting in Columbus on Tuesday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m.
"I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle and the many advocacy groups who are committed to helping us achieve our goals and better serve those with disabilities and their families," said Brenner. "We work hard to ensure there is opportunity and a future for all Ohioans, and this caucus will find new ways to continue to grow and improve."
According to the 2018 Department of Developmental Disabilities' Annual Report, there are over 100,000 Ohioans who access services by working with their county board of developmental disabilities, direct service providers, and provider agencies to receive support so that they may live their lives to their fullest potential.
"As a former special education teacher and advocate for the disability community, I am happy to join my colleague, Senator Brenner, in this new Caucus," said Antonio. "People who make up the disability community are an important part of the fabric of our society and we as legislators should do everything we can to work together for shared goals."
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities currently offers an employer toolkit that contains information for recruiting, hiring and retaining workers with disabilities. Here you can learn about best practices from some of Ohio's top employers, tax incentives for hiring workers with disabilities, and other important information.
"I especially want to expand on proven strategies to drive the workforce forward and help improve opportunities for quality employment, education and independent living for Ohio citizens with disabilities," added Brenner.
If you would like to receive additional information, updates or future meeting notices, please email Brenner@OhioSenate.gov or Antonio@OhioSenate.gov.
Download the press release: Senators Brenner & Antonio Announce Creation of Ohio Developmental Disabilities Caucus


Top quality staircase design in kerala from my homes thrissur, hand crafted illuminated carved / etched glass staircase. Evens construction pvt ltd stair area design tierra este. Under stair design, wooden stair, kitchen and living.
Modular kitchen, bedroom and staircase interior kerala, v tech industries our services. Staircase, bedroom, dining interiors kerala home design. Evens construction pvt ltd: staircase design for kerala homes.


text:
Bus jumping lanes at the intersection of Highway 17 and Mount Newton Cross Road, here seen during their construction in late spring 2022, are now ready to use, the province announced Dec. 29. (Black Press Media file photo)
Bus queue jump lanes added in Saanich Peninsula
The lanes start before the intersection of Highway 17 and Mount Newton Cross Road
New so-called bus queue jump lanes promise to improve public transit along a stretch of the Saanich Peninsula.
The lanes starting before the intersection of Highway 17 and Mount Newton Cross Road allow transit buses to bypass congestion as they approach the intersection. The lanes then continue after the intersection, allowing buses merge into traffic.
The lanes come with new bus shelters at the intersection with its cluster of fuel stations and food outlets on the eastern side of the highway. The area is also undergoing increased densification with new residential projects underway in the northeast corner of the intersection.
RELATED: Bus traffic on the Saanich Peninsula to get jump up with new lanes
RELATED: Central Saanich housing projects break ground on construction of 235 rental units
A release announcing that the lanes are now ready to use also highlights improved safety and sight lines thanks to the rebuilding of traffic islands and the addition new signals, signs, road markings, as well as new sidewalks.
Costs total $7.6 million.
Rob Fleming, minister of transportation and infrastructure, said in a release that the improvements will speed up travel through the Saanich Peninsula on their way to downtown Victoria or the ferry terminal at Swartz Bay.
"The Pat Bay Highway is an important and heavily used transportation corridor on the south island and I'm pleased that transit users will benefit from this project," he said.
Erinn Pinkerton, president and chief executive officer of BC Transit, said these lanes will help reduce the number of cars on the road, thereby easing traffic congestion and making nearby neighbourhoods more accessible.
"We're always looking for ways to encourage more people to choose public transit and better connect communities," said Pinkerton.
Saanich PeninsulaTransportation
BC Hydro taking 'additional steps' to protect grid after string of U.S. attacks
Police seek suspect after suitcase stolen on airport-bound bus


text:
Q: Installing Django and Python Suds (without admin rights) I am trying to setup my project environment which uses the following:

*

*Python 2.5.2

*Django 1.3

*Python Suds

The server I am running it on already has Python (2.5.2) and Django (1.1) installed but I want to use a newer version of Django and dont have administrator rights to upgrade. How do I go about installing this again?
Should I have to install Python + Django + Suds in a seperate directory? How would I replace standard python paths to this new one?
Thanks!

A: You can use virtual_env, I have used to play with another (unrelated) python framework buildbot

A: I would install it Django + Suds in a new directory! then you can grant access to everyone in this dir! then If you are running apache you just have to add this new folder to PYTHONPATH!
Just for record, I have never tried that, but it should work!
try searching about PYTHONPATH in google too, here is one link that might help:
http://www.stereoplex.com/blog/understanding-imports-and-pythonpath
cheers

A: A Complete Guide To setup django in other path

Installing django through pip
Well many use pip package manager for their install purpose (not my favorite).
to install django through pip you do something like:
pip install django

it will install django in a path which is not accessible by non-root users.
So you must first add the installation place for it.
pip install django --install-option="--prefix=$SOME_PLACE_WE_HAVE_ACCESS_TO" django

This $SOME_PLACE_WE_HAVE_ACCESS_TO can be /home/user/ directory.
now login to python and do the import:
import django
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named django

What are we doing wrong????
PYTHONPATH
well as long as you have not installed django in PYTHONPATH python doesn't know where to import the module!!!
do this two steps:

BASH:

echo $PYTHONPATH

PYTHON:

import sys
print sys.path

well sys.path show the path of packages locations installed in python.
and $PYTHONPATH is empty...
The only thing you have to do is to add the path of django egg file to PYTHONPATH
for example in mine its:
/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/Django-1.9-py2.7.egg
to add it to PYTHONPATH do this:

BASH:

export PYTHONPATH={{EGG PATH}}
which {{EGG PATH}} is the location of your django egg.
WHAT ABOUT django-admin?
well you have to run it from the place that django has set it up in somewhere it has been installed called bin
for that you can add the path of that bin (Think it might be ~/bin or any_place_you_installed/bin) to $PATH...
just like PYTHONPATH we do:
export PATH=$PATH:~/bin

ATTENTION >> : after $PATH is essential!!! to know why do a: echo $PATH
ATTENTION >> ~/bin must be django bin directory so pay attention to that.
Installing django through source
OH My god That's my favorite.
there is nothing difference with the thing up there just insted pip use setup.py...
for that you must have setuptools installed... (I think pip will install that itself if pip raises error for setuptools you must do the whole thing I told up there for django for setuptools too.)
after you installed setuptools you must do this:
./setup.py install --prefix=$PATH_YOU_DESIRE

the rest is the same...

REFERENCES
1 : Installing package through pip in other location.
2 : How to add a PATH To $PATH.


My daughter recently came home with a big box. "Hey, Dad," she said. "Check this out!" She spilled its contents on the table, and I let out a deep sigh.
There were graduation announcements, a robe, a cap and tassel. In short, everything necessary to prove that my daughter is graduating from high school this year.
With countless parents from eons past, I asked, "Where did the time go?" It seems like just last week, she and her classmates were walking into Evergreen Elementary with their little backpacks and lunchboxes, eager to learn and grow and play at recess. Now, high school is over and college looms near.
A lot of emotions are bubbling to the surface for me, but two stand out. The first is gratitude.
Nobody arrives at adulthood completely by their own doing. It takes parents, grandparents, extended family, teachers, coaches, scout leaders, youth pastors and a host of others who have poured their lives into these graduates.
I know I can't take credit for the smart, witty, intelligent young people my daughter and her friends have become. I'm glad so many partnered in teaching them math, science, music and literature; I'm indebted to those who taught them to hunger for knowledge and search for truth. I'm thankful to God that he's surrounded my daughter with so many good, caring, supportive people.
At the same time, I'm filled with hope. These kids are smart, savvy and ready to take on the world. Coming of age in the post-9/11 world, today's graduates carry an understanding of the depth of the problems facing our world and a hunger to bring positive change.
By no fault of their own, they have inherited a world plagued by complex difficulties. They are the generation of school shootings, terrorist bombings, financial disparity, climate change and politics-as-reality-television. We've messed things up for them.
Yet, when I look at my daughter and her classmates, I'm left with hope that they'll find a better way. They are politically active, informed and passionate. Perhaps God is raising up a much-needed generation to talk some sense to the rest of us.
Of course, I'm filled with nostalgia, as well. There are so many memories of camping trips, days exploring the Puget Sound shoreline, birthday parties, Christmas mornings, French toast Saturdays, car rides to school and back, tickle fights and snuggles, baseball games and ferry rides. It's hard to let our children grow up.
This, though, is the way of life. We're given babies, children and teenagers for but a short moment in time, and then we get to release them to the world. Hoping, praying and believing we've prepared them as best we can, we now watch with pride as they embark on this thing called adulthood.
To Olivia, Natalie, Genni, Isaac, Zander, Savvy and the rest of the class of 2018, congratulations. Now go out there and make us all proud. And to all who have taught them, molded them, loved them and shaped them, thank you. Our world is a better place for all your efforts.


An official teaser trailer for the eighth and final season of HBO's Game of Thrones has finally been released. The seventh season ended over a year ago, and fans have eagerly been waiting for any sort of reveal regarding season 8 since then.
Unfortunately, the video does not reveal any actual footage from season 8. Instead, it pans across a scene at the Painted Table inside Dragonstone castle. Ice creeps down from the northernmost parts of Westeros, enveloping the Stark direwolf and continuing on to the Targaryen dragon. Meanwhile, fire blazes up from the south, raging on past the Lannister lion. Fire and ice meet in the middle of the map, a visual representation of A Song of Ice and Fire.
The trailer is an ominous reminder of the perilous state that Westeros was in at the conclusion of the seventh season.
The eight and final season of Game of Thrones is set to premiere in April 2019 on HBO.


How often does a movie pull you so deeply into the screen that you forget where you are? Try Kidnap. Call it a B movie as the reviews do, but then explain to me why it grabs an audience, holds it, and needs only one hour and twenty-one minutes to wrap them in fear that lasts long after leaving the theater. Maybe that's the definition of a good B movie: many faults wrapped in emotional overkill. Let's look.
Karla Dyson (Halle Berry) has taken her adorable eight year old son Frankie (Sage Correa) to the amusement park for some fun. She answers her cellphone when she sees the call is from the lawyer defending her against her ex-husband's suit for custody of their son. As she hangs up, she sees Frankie being hauled into a car. As Karla rushes to her Chrysler minivan, she drops her phone and loses her only way to summon help during the unfolding chase. She has only seconds to follow the turquoise car.
Whether it's a good, bad, or mediocre movie to you, the theme goes to the heart of every mother's deepest fear. We are given just enough time in the amusement park to see the love between Karla and her son. It's right there that we begin to appreciate Halle Berry and Sage Correa.
Because the boy is whisked away so early, the movie falls entirely into the hands of Halle Berry who comes through in grand form. She drives at breakneck speed, causes pileups on highways, and slices across interstates. The fact that in reality none of this could happen matters not a bit.
Director Luis Prieto and writer Knate Lee wisely avoid following anything but Karla, and that brings up the only suspense lapse. Alone in her car without her phone, there can be no conversation so they have her say a prayer and reminisce a little. The effect? This is the only time the tension slows. The fuel of this story is adrenaline, and we don't need to be relieved of our fear.
Halle Berry is so effective that we're rooting for her through every single awful moment. Forget that none of the sudden plot changes could happen in real life. Not one of them is predictable or possible and each comes as a jolting surprise. It is the abduction itself that can and does happen in reality and that is what generates fear in the audience. So don't waste time criticizing the ridiculous twists and turns. Just think about Frankie.
The best solution is to cheer this brave mother on and enjoy the cockeyed twists and dangers that challenge her at every turn. And remember that Halle Berry is convincing in all the incredible situations. This is a B movie? Of course, but I promise you will never figure out what's coming next to make you slam your eyes closed and you can thank special effects and Halle Berry for that.
This review was posted on August 21, 2017, in Thriller. Bookmark the permalink.


With FRS 102 now upon us, and in the absence of detailed guidance on the financial statement presentation and disclosure requirements in relation to LLPs, we have produced some illustrative financial statements.
The examples illustrate a group and parent company financial statements prepared for the first time in accordance with FRS 102, The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland ('FRS 102') and the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting by Limited Liability Partnerships ('LLP SORP').
They comprise example primary statements and notes to the financial statements. Their preparation involved striking a balance between helpful guidance and burdensome detail, and while they do not attempt to cover everything, will provide guidance for most scenarios.