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5G Non-Standalone to 5G Standalone: New opportunities for Communications Service Providers
Many CSPs are deploying 5G NSA intending to evolve to 5G SA as the technology matures. This calls for the transition from 5G NSA to 5G SA to be straightforward for the CSP and transparent to the end-user. This article describes ways to make that transition happen, focusing on the 5G core.
5G core – ready for networks
5G NSA deployment
5G SA deployment
Benefits of 5G SA and new use cases for monetization
Bringing the components together
5G Non-Standalone to Standalone – Made Real
Packet Core and Control and User plane separation
Signalling and Routing
Operations, administration and management
Role of Core Engineered Solution to simplify migration
By the end of 2025, Ovum expects there to be 3 billion 5G subscriptions, which will be worth USD 800 billion in annual subscription fees. 3GPP has defined several deployment options to hasten the introduction of 5G while supporting a move to fuller 5G services.
The industry has aligned on options Non-Standalone (NSA)3X and Standalone (SA)2. Option NSA3X allows Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to quickly deploy 5G enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) service on top of their existing 4G core and radio networks, using 5G radios to provide high-speed, low-latency data capabilities for their customers. Option SA2 enables CSPs to offer their customers the full capabilities of 5G technology through the addition of a cloud-native 5G core.
Many CSPs have introduced the 5G NSA deployment option 3X, shortly called NSA3X in the following.
NSA3x is supported by many smartphones able to allow higher data speeds. As well as smartphones, many different types of devices can connect. All devices, from smartphones to data sticks to Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, are referred to by the generic term User Equipment (UE).
NSA3x enables 5G radio access by leveraging the existing 4G core, the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The 5G core can be introduced in parallel to the existing EPC as an evolutionary step based on deployment options such as SA2, SA5, and NSA7. Currently, the industry is mainly using SA2 as the next step.
EPC and 5G core will both continue to exist to provide support for existing 4G devices, while 5G core will be the only core network option for 5G greenfield CSPs. Even then, roaming will require connectivity to 3G or 4G serving Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs).
5G NSA Option 3/3A/3X is based on LTE-New Radio (NR) Dual Connectivity (simultaneous connectivity via LTE and NR) with EPC, where LTE becomes the master and NR is secondary. This option enables the use of the 5G spectrum and offers services including Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). Moderate enhancements are required for EPC to the MME, S/P-GW, HSS, and PCRF. Many initial rollouts use NSA3X to provide enhanced mobile broadband with reliable connectivity.
While this allows early 5G deployment, it cannot achieve many 5G capabilities such as end-to-end network slicing. A further disadvantage is that dual connectivity shortens UE battery life.
5G stand-alone deployment option 2 (SA2) is based on NR connected directly to the 5G Core, bringing several advantages over the NSA3X option:
Single radio connectivity, only NR without simultaneous LTE connectivity
5G core can scale quickly to meet changing service demands not seen in traditional broadband and voice. New services like massive cellular IoT, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will depend on the 5G core's lower latency, higher data rates, and increased scale.
5G core offers increased security and privacy. 3GPP-defined 5G UE authentication is more secure than 4G to protect the CSP and its customers against increasing cyber threats.
End-to-end network slicing is supported, enabling CSPs to provide tight Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for customer segments.
The 5G core is access agnostic, equally handling 3GPP and non-3GPP technologies such as fixed line access.
Distributed cloud
Traditional networks are highly centralized and optimized to provide mainly bandwidth and capacity. Different characteristics of a wider range of services and applications require both centralized and distributed network deployment architectures. For example, some mobile services will require low latency under full mobility conditions, such as autonomous vehicles that need a radio latency of around 1ms. Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) resources will support these low latency use cases with two main features:
A new Session and Service Continuity mode called "make before break" allows no interruption of services when a UE transfers from one edge data center to another. This is the only way to serve low latency use cases for moving UEs.
Distributed cloud hosts telco functions, additionally MEC resources can be used to host a real user application. Using MEC APIs, the entire application re-allocation can be initiated by the 5G core to keep a user's latency within agreed limits.
Network slices for different industry verticals
The 3GPP has defined several network slices profiles: eMBB for mobility and high throughput, massive IoT to handle a massive number of devices providing high uplink throughput, and URLLC requiring security and reliability. Nevertheless, new 5G services may require further slice definitions.
eMBB premium subscriptions (FWA, Enterprise): a CSP may offer an FWA service for home and business users – not simply providing FWA as high bandwidth, and reliable access but defining a slice for this segment to offer enhanced quality and customization to existing services/subscriptions for consumers and business customers.
New 5G use cases (Cloud gaming, AR/VR, robotics, etc.): tailored network slice for demanding service requirements for new use cases.
Alternative for a private network (Industry 4.0 where AI is used in production or public safety communication): a more cost-effective and faster time to the market solution than a fully dedicated private network
Special services (IoT, logistics): a network slice is tailored to a use case whose characteristics may be different from MBB. Can require less capacity than MBB but is business-critical.
These scenarios show how a 5G core network slice can be adapted to a specific use case. This allows CSPs to meet different customer needs with slice definitions. The most important factor is to analyze customer needs and design the service accordingly, with the 5G core providing a flexible and programmable platform.
5G Core Service Based Architecture
5G Core architecture is fully based on cloud-native concepts and allows easily leveraging all advantages of cloud-native applications like webscale deployments and automation. This new architecture is not restricted to SA2 deployments.
Instead of defining peer-to-peer interfaces as in previous mobile network generations, services are defined. Service producers are network functions (NFs) where the service is processed. Service consumers are NFs that use the services provided by CSPs. One NF can be a provider for one service, while also being a consumer of another service.
Service producers provide their services via http-2 Service-Based Interfaces (SBI). These consist of a list of operations, divided into functionality groups known as services. Different services belonging to the same SBI are independent.
Each NF that acts as a service producer reveals its interfaces and corresponding services via a central Network Repository Function (NRF), which is used by NFs (service consumers) to find services.
The service producer can run different services belonging to the same interface on different addresses. The same service can even be run on different addresses depending on further parameters, such as slice ID.
The service consumer is free to use just some of the services provided on a specific interface. This means that different services of the same interface can be requested with different performance requirements.
As the services have independent functionality, they can be implemented by independent modules in the service producer. This corresponds to a microservice architecture in which each service is implemented by different microservices that can scale independently to meet the needs of a service producer. This helps to ensure optimal use of resources for the 5G system.
Different models are possible for communication between NFs on service-based interfaces. Nokia recommends the so-called model "B" mainly for small deployments. This model uses direct communication between NFs. NRF allows service consumers to dynamically discover the addresses of corresponding service producers.
Service Communication Proxy (SCP) is recommended for bigger deployments. SCP-based deployment simplifies the network structure and centralizes common functionality like load balancing, monitoring, and overload control.
One of the main principles of 5G is that services have independent functionality and are mostly stateless (decoupled from storage resources), so they can be instantiated and scaled according to network demand. This allows 5G services to be implemented by independent small modules rather than large servers.
This corresponds to a cloud-native architecture in which each service can be implemented by different microservices that can scale independently according to CSP requirements to help ensure the most effective use of resources for the 5G system.
Packet Core migration: combo nodes and Control and User Plane Separation (CUPS)
Packet core migration is one of the NSA3X deployment options, at least for the control and the user plane of the gateways. Most legacy gateways are not ready for the basic use case of NSA3X for high bit rates because they do not support the separation of control and user planes, which avoids heavy transport loads by distributing the user plane. This distribution also allows low latency, at least for static UEs, or for UEs moving to certain areas. The interworking of 4G and 5G also requires a combination of Session Management Function (SMF)/ Packet Data Network Gateway-c (PGW-c) and UPF/PGW-u, in other words, a combination of HSS/UDM, PCRF/PCF. This is the 3GPP standard for supporting IP address continuity when a UE moves from 5G to 4G coverage or vice-versa.
Adopting more use cases than the eMBB can support requires a move to the 5G core. To work with verticals and enterprises, a CSP will need to support network slicing to ensure security and SLA requirements are handled cost-effectively. Edge data centers must be integrated rapidly with the help of 3GPP features and not treated simply as locations to deploy functions. A new session and service continuity mode ensure no interruption of services when a UE moves between edge data centers. Ultra-reliability requires 5G core features such as redundant user plane paths, with the enhanced resilience offered by functions/services in the control plane acting as a fallback for extreme events such as a failure of a complete data center.
Subscriber data management
As with earlier mobile network architectures, subscription data and the corresponding management functions are essential for the availability of the whole 5G System. This is particularly important during the introductory phase, where stability issues may lead to message storms that are more likely than within mature networks like EPC.
Distributed across multiple sites, the Nokia SDM differentiates strictly between stateful Unified Data Repository (UDR) and state-less applications, for example, Home Subscriber Servers (HSS), Unified Data Management (UDM), and Policy Control Function (PCF). The 5G core solution uses proven techniques to handle large overloads, including those caused by unexpected UE behavior, such as toggling between 3G/4G/5G network access registrations to attach to the preferred network.
Service continuity, fulfill regulatory requirements
Even if the 5G core is introduced for new services and new service architectures like network slicing, subscribers will still expect continuity of their existing services, such as voice. Emergency calls must be possible and lawful interception is required for voice calls and cannot simply rely on intercepting the "data" to support cases like call forwarding. Multimedia Priority Services must also be available in the 5G core.
The 5G NSA solution uses the existing LTE radio and core for all these aspects. Voice in the 3X architecture is either IMS-based VoLTE or relies on CS Fallback. In the SA architecture, the voice becomes IMS-based VoIP, using the EPS Fallback or Voice over New Radio (VoNR). Further details can be found in the Nokia paper (Voice over 5G The options for deployment). This also describes several solutions for emergency calls. During the initial deployment of the 5G Core, the use of emergency fallback is recommended, as it reuses all the cells to emergency-center mapping.
Policy and charging
The role of policy management has dramatically changed over the last few years, resulting in ever more complex rules and creating a need for a better rules engine. In 5G SA deployment, the 5G core's cloud-native network function PCF is designed to meet these challenges:
The access agnostic 5G core must deal with a growing range of devices and the subsequent increase in the number of rules
5G diverse IoT use cases like Long Range (LoRA) IoT or mMTC require a huge number of new rules that may be invoked with different types of triggers.
Designed for the 5G era, charging functions must provide real-time rating and charging capabilities to enable new monetization opportunities for digital service providers. They must be tightly integrated with adjacent BSS capabilities such as mediation, billing, and a rich set of analytics capabilities.
Location services must be available reliably, for example, to allow emergency services to be used whatever the connectivity status of the device.
Evolving from non-standalone to standalone has different start points. For example, whether an existing 3G/4G network needs to be enhanced or if this is a completely new network, if a multivendor environment requires interoperability tests or whether a Core Engineered Systems solution could be applied to speed up the process.
Nokia provides a full spectrum of products for 5G support as shown in Figure 5. Within the following chapters for the different areas, the transition is explained in more depth.
The Nokia cloud-native packet core consists of three product families embracing many 3GPP functionalities. As stated in the previous section, a combo SMF/PGW-c, UPF/PGW-u is needed for 4G-5G interworking. In 4G, Nokia treats the control plane and the user plane of the gateways as two independent functions, loosely coupled, rather than components of the same function.
Traditionally in 4G, the whole of a UE's traffic is handled in a single Central Processor Unit (CPU). This is not yet possible for eMBB, as a single CPU can only achieve a speed of around 2 Gbps. Various techniques have been introduced for per-flow scheduling, although even these are not enough for 5G. Nokia supports per-packet scheduling with current computing capabilities of up to 60 Gbps per flow.
In addition, Nokia's UPF can be supplied with built-in basic add-on services, such as Deep Packet Inspection, carrier-grade Network Address Translation (NAT), and Transmission Control Protocol optimization. This offers the smallest UPF-introduced latency on the market, allowing CSPs to fulfill even the strictest SLAs. Each packet is cracked "once", cutting east-west traffic, minimizing the solution's infrastructure footprint, and optimizing the number of function instances that need handling. The user plane is distributed in the form of basic functions such as Firewall (FW) and carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT) and there is no requirement to distribute FW or CGNAT before the UPF.
Figure 6 shows the architectural and functional highlights of the Nokia Cloud-Native Packet Core:
Cloud Mobile Gateway (CMG), Cloud Mobility Manager (CMM), and Cloud Network Resource Discovery (CNRD) implemented as Containerized Network Functions (CNFs) with no loss of EPC functionality
Full integration with Kubernetes
Support for Nokia developed Load Balancer services
Combined Session Management Function (SMF)+Serving Gateway-Control Plane (SGW-C) /Packet Data Network Gateway-Control Plane (PGW-C) to allow EPC interworking with 5G Core. Combined PGW-u/UPF
Integrated with common management components
CNFs on bare metal and in Virtual Machines (VMs) are supported.
Integrated with Nokia CaaS (NCS) and third-party CaaS
Nokia recommends its cloud-native CUPS-based Gateways (GWs) for option 3X to handle high bit rates and take pressure off the transport. PGW-c – PGW-u could be upgraded to combinations of SMF/PGW-c, UPF/ PGW-u even before full 5G core deployment.
CSPs are free to select when they migrate and can, for example, continue to use their legacy core for 4G UEs. The MME then simply selects a legacy PGW-c and not a combination. If the CSP wants to migrate subscribed 4G UEs to the new GWs, then the MME chooses a combination of SMF/PGW-c rather than a legacy PGW-c. DNS queries have been extended appropriately to allow such options.
If a combination of SMF/PGW-c is used, then the CSP can easily select a PCF and a CHF for policies and charging. For 5G NAS capable UEs and for Access Point Names (APNs)/Data Network Names (DNNs) for which 4G-5G interworking applies and where there are no subscription restrictions if a UE registers in a 4G coverage area, the MME is forced to select an SMF/PGW-c. If it does not, it will be impossible to achieve a seamless handover when the UE moves to a 5G coverage area. In this case, the SMF/PGW-c is also forced to select a UPF/PGW-u. If a 5G NAS capable UE registers under 5G/eLTE coverage, then Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) is selected as a mobility entity, which simply selects further 5G core elements.
If a CSP is keen to explore all 5G use cases, then it must migrate to the 5G core. Partial migration to CUPS-based gateways is recommended even for CSPs that would prefer to stay with eMBB, which can be easily served by the 3X deployment option. Partial migration to CUPS-based GWs, PCF, CHF is possible now for all 4G and 5G UEs and will soon be possible for all UEs allowed by subscription.
Nokia uses proven products for 5G core functions, ensuring that no EPC functionality is lost. Also, because the Cloud Mobility Manager offers Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) functionality and the Cloud Mobile Gateway offers Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) functionality, Nokia's cloud-native core supports all generations from 2G to 5G, without this implying seamless handover between 2G/3G and 4G/5G. Finally, although the Nokia cloud packet core is currently focused on deployment option 2, it can easily be extended to support other deployment options such as 4, 5, and 7.
Data management, particularly subscriber data management, is an essential consideration when migrating from EPS to the 5G System. There are several differences between data management in EPS and 5G System, including:
The strict separation between Data Storage Layers provided by Unified Data Repository (UDR), respectively Unstructured Data Storage Function (UDSF), and Data Access Layer with standardized Service Based Interface (SBI) in 5G System. Standardized SBI for UDSF is only available from 3GPP Rel-16
Holistic storage concept. This not only concentrates on provisioned subscriber data managed by the UDM function but also covers PCF, application, and Network Exposure Function (NEF) data
Interworking between different Core Network types is standardized by 3GPP Rel-16, namely the interworking between HSS and UDM.
The Nokia SDM solution supports this strict separation between the Data Storage Layer and the Data Access Layer, and there are several deployments based on One-NDS. This is a good solution to use initially as it allows the fast introduction of the new 5G System. The Ud interface is available via One-NDS.
If new 5G subscription data is added to existing subscriber data, the authentication credentials can be reused, while new 5G subscribers can also be created. For interworking with 5GC, the UDM shall be added as a new application FE. The UDM is connected to the AUSF, AMF, SMF, SMSF, and NEF within the 5G System and provides HSS-like functionality toward 5GC.
Almost all CSPs will require interworking between different Core Network types for some time. In existing 4G networks, EPC support will be necessary until complete 5G Core coverage is available. In new, 5G Core-only networks, 2G/3G/4G support is necessary to allow outbound roaming across the globe.
This requires HSS/Home Location Register (HLR) deployments as well as the corresponding subscriber data. The Nokia UDM connects to the Nokia HSS+HLR for interworking via a Nokia UHHd/UHd interface, requiring an upgrade to the HSS+HLR. The main interworking use cases are 5G Core-EPC mobility scenarios, interworking 5G System with IMS, for example, to support terminating domain selection via T-ADS feature, and interworking for terminating SMS support.
The current UHHd/UHd interface will be replaced by the NU1 interface as per 3GPP Rel-16. In addition, 5G-EIR functionality can easily be added by enhancing an existing One-EIR-based solution with 5G SBI. There are no new data requested and the same device black/grey/white lists are shared between access domains.
Another migration option is to introduce a new UDR for 5G System subscribers in parallel with the existing HSS/4G UDR. The introduction of a new 5G SDM should be based on Shared Data Layer (SDL).
SDL is the future-proof cloud-native Nokia UDR solution supporting the 5G System's standard, namely Nudr. The corresponding subscriber and service profiles usually contain 2G/3G/4G, IMS plus 5G data. The introduction of a new, cloud-based 5G-UDR for 5G subscribers allows a separate, new data management deployment for a 5G core. Both Nudr and Ud-based interfaces can be used.
SDL is highly scalable, allowing smooth growth to meet market requirements.
Such a solution requires routing enhancements for STP/Diameter to route incoming requests for 5G System's subscribers to the new SDM and others to the existing HSS+HLR.
Another third option is the introduction of SDL from the start.
Existing 4G subscribers shall be migrated from the existing 3G/4G-UDR to the new 5G System's UDR. Reuse of existing FEs is possible if they are already cloud or CNF based. Existing subscriber data from One-NDS are migrated to SDL, either via script or via proxy-based migration.
With the availability of the 3GPP Rel-16 NU1/NU2 interfaces as per 3GPP TS23.632, there will be another option that allows CSPs to keep their existing EPS UDR and HSS/HLR. The existing HSS/HLR must be upgraded to support the new interfaces. Only the 5G System's subscription is stored in the 5G System's UDR in this case, accessed via an NU1 enabled UDM.
Such a solution allows CSPs to reuse existing EPS HSS for 5G System's subscribers without affecting Diameter/MAP routing. The disadvantage with this is the partly redundant storage of subscriber data in two different databases.
Location services are supported via 3GPP Gateway Mobile Location Center offered via the Nokia Location Server. Figure 8 shows the basic network architecture for location services in EPC and 5G Core. The Nokia Location Server consists of components supporting the different access types.
For network-initiated transactions, the GMLC is the gateway into the 4G or 5G Core. Assuming the GMLC determines whether the UE is on LTE/NR-NSA or NR-SA, it can initiate positioning over the appropriate 4G SLg or 5G NLg interface. The GMLC knows the context based on one or more of the following:
If the location request arriving at the GMLC indicates 4G or 5G, for example, including the RAN-type indicator from a SIP INVITE
From an indicator pushed from elsewhere arriving at the GMLC that indicates 4G or 5G, such as an SLg SLR from the MME or NLg Nlmf_Location_Determine Location Request message from AMF
By querying the HSS or UDM or both to determine 4G or 5G.
For device-initiated Secure user Plane (SUPL) transactions, whether 4G or 5G is indicated by the ECGI or NR-CGI in the SUPL messaging, the appropriate procedures are followed.
The Nokia Cloud Signaling Director (CSD) provides 3GPP SCP functionality. It's recommended to introduce CSD from the beginning to simplify the migration. CSD supports two deployment options for an SCP service:
Central deployment
The SCP is deployed as a central NF, external to any NF in the network, and communicates with other NFs via corresponding SBI interfaces.
Distributed deployment
In the event of a cloud-native environment at each CNF, the SCP is deployed in each NF function. It can be deployed as a separate Pod as the smallest deployable unit that you can create and manage in Kubernetes or even as a sidecar of NF Pods. The NF Pods do not need to handle the routing of the SBI messages. They simply pass the message to the SCP Pod (or transparently to the SCP sidecar) and the SCP delivers the message to the correct destination.
Operations, administration, and management
Open operability interfaces help CSPs to create their own automation framework and then integrate the Nokia 5G Core network functions into it. To make this possible, Nokia 5G Core Network functions to support the interfaces provided by OpenSource projects from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Prometheus/Grafana, FluentBit, and ELK are just some examples of such projects addressing telemetry use cases. Other open technologies are used for Configuration Management (for example NetConf/YANG) and logging and tracing (for example Homer, Jaeger).
The compatibility of Kubernetes with many cloud infrastructure and bare metal server technologies means Nokia 5G Core Network functions can be deployed and operated on any cloud.
The Nokia 5G Core improves automated operability in numerous ways. Automated lifecycle management is based on Kubernetes methods like Helm Charts and K8S Operators. Kubernetes components such as Kubelet, which is the primary "node agent" that runs on each node, and HPA are used for automatic scaling and healing. This ensures that proprietary mechanisms for lifecycle management network functions are avoided and that the Nokia 5G Core will always benefit from the fast lifecycle management operations provided by Kubernetes and any functional evolution in the Kubernetes ecosystem.
Automated orchestration is provided by the Nokia Cloud Operations Manager. It helps CSPs manage their 5G core workload over multiple Kubernetes clusters by taking the actual status/capacity of these clusters into account. For example, operational staff can automate the creation of new network instances in the right Kubernetes cluster, as selected via a policy. They can also react automatically to data center outages by recreating network functions on the remaining data center as part of a disaster recovery process. Nokia Cloud Operations Manager can also create a complete network slice with a single mouse click.
Closed-loop automation is provided by the Nokia Assurance Center, which fully automates the collection of telemetry data from all parts of the network, analyzes it, and derives optimization measures.
Nokia 5G Core Engineered Systems is a collection of bundles for cloud-native environments using Nokia-certified products and services. These bundles provide better performance than using best-of-breed products from multiple vendors:
Enables faster time-to-market for foundational services like 5G Core, Voice over X, Unified Data Management in telco cloud
Deployed and ready for rapid commercial use, minimizing the time from initiation to acceptance
A CSP core network will always be up to date with the latest capabilities and Core and Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) infrastructure releases
Nokia ensures a fast and proven system upgrade path, with optimized and pre-certified system-level upgrades to cut upgrade times
The concept offloads the burden of integration, providing safe-harbor certification of product release combinations (VNF and NFVI) covering functional, operational, performance, and robustness testing.
Core Engineered systems provide core foundational services based on the latest technology. Rather than being static systems, they continuously evolve in different ways. The first is the evolution of 5G architecture – current systems can serve NSA3X and SA2 5G architecture. Using Core Engineered Systems, CSPs can migrate to SA2 architecture quickly and simply.
5G will support CSPs' monetization aspirations with agile new service creation opportunities. One step to exploit the promise of 5G is the move from NSA to SA core deployment. At this stage, 5G core SBA and network functions become available as a programmable asset and the network becomes a PaaS architecture for the creation of services. Automated end-to-end network slicing will also be possible, encompassing core, transmission, and radio resources to provide defined SLAs for services. By realizing the advantages of 5G SA deployment, CSPs are opening their networks for a wide variety of new possible use cases. The new access agnostic 5G core is ready to provide a similar service portfolio, independent of the type of access technology. In its service roadmap, a CSP can include new consumer and enterprise services to satisfy its customers, reduce churn and provide a return on investment from its 5G deployments.
3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project
3X Non-Standalone 3X deployment mode
5G 5th Generation (mobile radio)
AMF Access and Mobility Management Function
API Application Programming Interface
APN Access Point Name
AR/VR Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality
AUSF Authentication Server Function
CaaS Containers as a Service
CGNAT Carrier Grade Network Address Translation
CHF Charging Function
CMG Cloud Mobile Gateway
CMM Cloud Mobility Manager
CNF Containerized Network Function
CNRD Cloud Network Resource Director
CPU Central Processing Unit
CS Circuit Switched
CSD Cloud Signaling Director
CSP Communications Service Provider
CUPS Control and User Plane separation
DNN Data Network Name
eMBB enhanced Mobile Broadband
EPC Evolved Packet Core (4G)
ePDG Evolved Packet Data Gateway
EPS Evolved Packet System (4G)
FWA Fixed Wireless Access
GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node
GPRS General Packet Radio Service
GW Gateway
GWCN Gateway Core Network
HLR Home Location Register
HSS Home Subscriber Server
IMS IP Multimedia Subsystem
LAN Local Area Network
LoRA Long Range
LTE Long Term Evolution
MEC Multi-Access Edge Computing
MIMO Multiple input multiple output
MME Mobility Management Entity
mMTC Massive Machine-Type Communications
NAT Network Address Translation
NCS Nokia Container Services
NEF Network Exposure Function
NF Network function
NFVI Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure
NR New Radio
NRF Network Repository Function
NSA Non-Standalone
NSSF Network Slice Selection Function
PCF Policy Controller Function
PCRF Policy and Charging Rules Function
PGW Packet Data Network Gateway
PLMN Public Line Mobile Network
QoS Quality of Service
RESTful Representational state transfer
SA Standalone
SA2 Standalone type 2
SBA Service Based Architecture
SBI Service Based Interface
SCP Service Communication Proxy
SDL Shared Data Layer
SGW Serving Gateway
SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node
SLA Service Level Agreement
SMF Session Management Function
SUPL Secure User Plane
UE User Equipment
UDR Unified Data Repository
UDSF Unstructured Data Storage Function
UDM Unified Data Management
UPF User Plane Function
VM Virtual Machine
VNF Virtual Network Function
VoIP Voice over IP
VoNR Voice over New Radio
Posted on Published: July 24, 2021 - Last updated: July 26, 2022
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Beth Bontley - After graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, with a degree in Speech and Drama, Beth Bontley made her way up to Boston. There she performed in everything from clowning to Shakespeare, including a stint as a singing ench. She also started her own business, teaching acting. She then graduated from the Circle in the Square Professional Theater School, in NYC. While there, she worked in all of the departments of the Circle in the Square Broadway Theater. While in NY, she worked in every aspect of off-off Broadway theatre, from producing to stage management, and lots of work onstage. She has also studied Native American philosophy, and creative goals strategies. From that she became a speaker, seminar leader and coach. She has been published in 6 newsletters/magazines; has been a featured guest on 6 cable TV shows in NYC, and over 21 radio programs on WOR in NY. She has self published 2 books and an audiotape. Currently she teaches acting at TCU, Tarrant Community College, Dallas Summer Musicals and STAGE. Recently she developed and directed a TCU summer camp for talented teens. Locally, she has appeared as Emma in Echo Theater's production of "Fefu and her Friends," in Theatre 3's "The Women," and as Theresa in Circle Theater's "The Memory of Water."


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Turkey 'silences critics' with presidential insult law
AFP Published February 21, 2022
In this file photo, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech after cabinet meeting at Presidential Complex in Ankara on Nov 3, 2020. . — Reuters/File
Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas begins her second month in detention on Tuesday for "insulting the president", an increasingly common offence that observers believe is stifling critical voices 16 months before the presidential election.
The 52-year-old has already spent longer in jail than any other journalist for this alleged offence, according to the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
During a television interview on January 14, Kabas quoted an old proverb affirming that a crowned head generally becomes wiser, and added: "but we see it is not true".
She repeated the line, deemed to be derogatory to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his regime, on her Twitter account which has more than 900,000 followers.
Three weeks later, Kabas was formally charged. Her request for bail was rejected and President Erdogan, the head of state, filed a claim for 250,000 Turkish liras (around $18,300, 16,100 euros) in damages.
An undated file photo of Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas (C) talking to media. — Reuters/File
She will be tried on March 11 and risks a total of 12 years and 10 months in prison for insulting the president and two of his ministers.
"This anti-democratic 'lese-majeste' law has become a tool of repression which illustrates the authoritarian policy of the government," said Erol Onderoglu, RSF's representative in Turkey.
Onderoglu believes the offence of insulting the president — article 299 of the penal code — allows the government "to silence critics and weaken the media", prompting RSF to call for its repeal.
Turkey is ranked 153rd in RSF's world press freedom index.
In November the European Court of Human Rights concluded that the imprisonment of another Turkish journalist for insulting the president was a violation of his right to freedom of expression.
'Respect the office'
Erdogan has also weighed into the Kabas case, saying she "will not go unpunished" and calling for "respect and protection" of the presidential office.
Also read: Erdogan threatens to punish Turkish media over 'harmful content'
"It has nothing to do with freedom of expression," Erdogan insisted.
Following the Kabas comment, eight other arrest warrants were issued, including one against Olympic swimmer Derya Buyukuncu, for messages on Twitter making fun of the president's Covid infection after he and his wife tested positive.
In 2020, more than 31,000 people were indicted for alleged contempt of the president and 36,000 in 2019, according to official judicial statistics.
In 2010, that figure stood at just four.
More generic than the accusation of "terrorism", which has been used widely since the 2016 coup attempt, that of "insulting the president" spreads the net even further, said Sumbul Kaya, a researcher at the Paris Military School's Institute for Strategic Research.
"This offence makes it possible to attack ordinary citizens", she said.
With Turkey going through an economic crisis, which is affecting Erdogan's popularity ahead of his bid for re-election in 2023, Kaya said she is sensing a "reduction of power in the judiciary".
The offence of "insulting civil servants" has existed for a long time, but that of insulting the president was created in 2005 by Erdogan's AKP party, which has been in power since 2002.
"With the example of the swimmer, President Erdogan claimed the office was under attack but it was about him as an individual," she said.
"We are slipping from the protection of the office of the president towards that of the individual."
Critics silenced
For Ahmet Insel, an economist and political scientist, "the massive use of article 299 aims to gag any strongly critical expression against the person (of the president)".
"Many journalists and lawyers are imprisoned under the charge of propaganda of a terrorist organisation but when it cannot be applied, as in the case of Sedef Kabas, Erdogan's lawyers file a complaint under section 299."
Insel believes the shift is a direct result of the "very autocratic concept of the office of president by Erdogan", who in 2018 became head of state, head of government and leader of the ruling party.
Some observers have pointed at the relative youth of the Istanbul prosecutor — who graduated in 2018 — who charged Kabas.
"More than 4,000 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed since 2016 and replaced by young lawyers close to the AKP, after opaque (recruitment) procedures," said Insel, adding that "the orders come... directly from the presidential palace".
Nearly 30 international organisations defending journalists have demanded the immediate release of Kabas.
Turkey's Erdogan threatens media with reprisals over 'harmful' content
6 arrested in Turkey for 'insulting Erdogan on social media' as country goes to polls
China rejects Turkey's criticism on Uighurs, denies poet's death
Feb 21, 2022 12:06pm
A lot of similarities between Erdogan and IK. Both have become like dictators and try to silence media and opposition forcefully.
Erdoğan is panicking. Inflation in Turkey is at 40%. Pakistan should step in and help.
Arrogant President ever!!
The stage of silencing opponents reaches when the leader has fear of losing power under the level-playing situation.
Both FATF grey listers Turkey & Pakistan are blessed with leaders full of Ego,Arrogance & incompetence with a snowflake fragility of mind. Their countries journey towards absolute misery is the fate for having them elected/selected.
Ali Sabir
... He does not care what people are thinking so long as they do not say it out loud.
Journalist often misuse their position to insult others or do propaganda work as told by lobbys. Quite normal in the west. It is called "politic".
Sajjad
Turkey is losing all those great values that once inspired free world.
I love this guy for his sheer guts.
High flier
Insulting head of state has become fashionable among the media persons to gain publicity without any real truth, it's so embarrassing to hear some unknown entity insulting a head of state in most crude and disrespectful manner . This can not be allowed
Shining beacon of the Muslim world.
Always Pokhtoon
His incompetent counterpart has done the same here.
Ismail
Good job by Erdogan, this is need of time because fake news is now a days on peak specially from western media and their deep pockets.
Good job Turkey.
Mehboob
This guy has become civil dictator.
C Krishnan
The head 21st century Ottoman emperor is back. Do we really want to be like his empire?
What about Giulian Asssnge? Is he Turkish?
M. Saeed
Almost a similar ordinance promulgated by our President about fake news inviting non-bailable arrests.
Hope PMIK wins 80% seats and brings in presidential system. He will take Pakistan to massive progress and sweep away the crooks and the corrupt who have infected society so badly.
@Justice, A lot of similarities between Erdogan and IK. Both have become like dictators and try to silence media and opposition forcefully. Only the corrupt squeal rest applaud. President Erdogan and PMIK two best leaders in the world.
@Nation, Arrogant President ever!! Not true.
@Saeed, The stage of silencing opponents reaches when the leader has fear of losing power under the level-playing situation. Its the lies that are stopped not the criticism.
Erdogan's conceit and increasing dictatorial behavior bodes ill for Truks.
Imran Baig
@Hamed , In the west, they don't have laws against criticizing the opposition. Only totalitarian leaders come up with these laws.
He is doing more damage to the country then any enemy. I hope he stays for another two terms
Karachiwalay
May be just a crying lady.
Qamar Ahmed
All over the world people are same. Some are the most mean and some are less.
Abdul Rasheed
Well done Mr. Erdogan. This is one of the reasons of progressive Turkey.
Rahim, Karachi
Erdogan's days are numbered and so is PMIK's.
Majid
Erdogan the magnificent is just another dictator like IK working under the shadows of so called democracy
farooq shaikh
Who are these people with out borders, why they are bent upon to tell us what we may do in our internal affairs, they must be kicked out from our country, immediately and permanently.
@Imran Baig, in lobby system you must attack the other side! USA can get you in the interest of national security. Double talk is normal in the west!
Alexis mora
This is what happens if you ignore your own country and are always busy poking nose in other countries affairs...
Our twin country
@Always Pokhtoon, You have spoken the truth; we have the more incompetent one.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Give your old phone new life!
This battery is compatible with several Samsung phone models including the Samsung Captivate i897, Samsung Focus i917, Samsung Epic 4G, and Samsung Vibrant T959.
Make sure you have all the tools needed to do the repair.


Presents the basics of open-source programming tools to perform data analysis and create interactive visualizations and maps for the web, data integrity and scraping, statistical computation, simple and novel visualizations, and geomapping. The examples are drawn from social science, public policy, and data journalism. Prerequisite(s): course 101.


text:
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Reflection.Runtime.General;

using Internal.LowLevelLinq;

using CustomAttributeExtensions = System.Reflection.CustomAttributeExtensionsSoonToBe;

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.Assemblies
{
    internal sealed partial class RuntimeAssembly
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this).ToArray();  // inherit is meaningless for Assemblies
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType).ToArray();  // inherit is meaningless for Assemblies
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType);  // inherit is meaningless for Assemblies
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.MethodInfos
{
    internal abstract partial class RuntimeConstructorInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.EventInfos
{
    internal sealed partial class RuntimeEventInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.FieldInfos
{
    internal sealed partial class RuntimeFieldInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.MethodInfos
{
    internal abstract partial class RuntimeMethodInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.Modules
{
    internal sealed partial class RuntimeModule
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this).ToArray();  // inherit is meaningless for Modules
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType).ToArray();  // inherit is meaningless for Modules
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType);  // inherit is meaningless for Modules
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.ParameterInfos
{
    internal abstract partial class RuntimeParameterInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.PropertyInfos
{
    internal sealed partial class RuntimePropertyInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

namespace System.Reflection.Runtime.TypeInfos
{
    internal abstract partial class RuntimeTypeInfo
    {
        public sealed override IList<CustomAttributeData> GetCustomAttributesData() => CustomAttributes.ToReadOnlyCollection();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override object[] GetCustomAttributes(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.GetCustomAttributes(this, attributeType, inherit).ToArray();
        public sealed override bool IsDefined(Type attributeType, bool inherit) => CustomAttributeExtensions.IsDefined(this, attributeType, inherit);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Sarkisian Says Baku's 'Arms Race' is Threat to Region
in Armenia, Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories
President Serzh Sarkisian
YEREVAN—The arms race unleashed by Azerbaijan should be cause for concern for the entire region's security prospects, said President Serzh Sarkisian Thursday, during his welcoming remarks to the participants of a conference entitled, "Regional Security Dynamics in the South Caucasus."
"The arms race unleashed by Azerbaijan, which exponentially exceed the ceilings set by the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), is cause for concern not only for Armenia and the region but also on a larger scale from the perspective of regional security," said Sarkisian. "Under these conditions, Armenia is forced to focus greater attention on modernizing its military system as a key factor in containing the belligerent ambitions and ensuring stability in the region."
Sarkisian said the complex and difficult geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus creates opportunities and challenges for the region's nations, as they attract international interest and foster competition in the area.
"The critical challenges facing the region are the unresolved conflicts which need comprehensive and final solutions. On many occasions, we have reiterated our solid will that the existing conflicts can be resolved only through peaceful negotiations on the basis of fundamental principles of international law," said Sarkisian who added that the OSCE Minsk Group is the only platform for conflict resolution that is acceptable to Armenia.
He said that lasting peace in the Karabakh conflict can be attained only if the physical security and self-determination of the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is guaranteed.
"We are confident that open borders and the implementation of common economic programs can become the best incentive for the mutual understanding and consequently will create an environment of trust resolving problems," explained Sarkisian, warning that efforts to create schism between regional states "will inevitably lead to the instability and development of distrust in the entire South Caucasus."
Sarkisian also said that Armenia initiated the rapprochement process with Turkey based on the ideal of neighborly cooperation. He added that while Armenia remains true to the principles of the process, political will from Turkey is needed for its success.
Sarkisian also discussed the role energy resources play in development of the region, but warned that new energy projects must not be used to upset the "equilibrium" of the region.
"Such policies are not only a threat to the security of individual states in the region, but also may seriously endanger the uninterrupted functioning of the transit routes of energy sources. We shouldn't allow the Southern Energy Corridor to become a source for feeding a new war. That is not good for the region and for the oil and gas companies," added Sarkisian.
An Armenian Wedding at Home Depot
Arman says:
Don't worry, we shall capture all those free weapons again.
Somebody says:
Looks like Armenia cant participate in this arms race, therefore he is whining around. Dont forget: money talks, not mouth….
Albert Nercessian says:
The Armenian military has the equiptment and tactics to defeat the Azeri military but if the Armenian military were to acquire tanks with composite armor, it could not only defeat but also devastate the Azeri forces. Composite armor is different than regular steel armour used in older generation tanks like the T-72. It is composed to layers of ceramic, metal and kevlar which can defeat armour piercing rounds and anti-tank missles. The Armenian T-72's have to fight Azeri T-72's and you don't want to fight an enemy with the same equiptment. You need better equiptment. The Armenian and Azeri air defenses are also equally matched with both possessing the S-300. Armenia needs to acquire different types of air defenses that supplement the S-300.
Peter Megerdumian says:
The Greek economic crisis could be an opportunity for the Greek government to sell weapons systems to Armenia at discount rates. The Greeks have some great equipment and it is a win-win situation. The Armenians and the Greeks are brethren and we need to help each other. Armenia should join the new Russian Eurasian Economic Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakstan. That would be real boost to the Armenian economy.
Naim says:
Let me get this straight. You occupy 20% of an adjacent country. When they threaten to take it back by force after 20 years of failed negotiations, they are the ones who are a threat to regional security?!!
Norin Radd says:
Shut your mouth . . . let me get this straight . . .you get Soviets to partition Armenian land and give it to you as a gift in 1920s then in 1990s you begin to ethnically cleanse Armenian populations living in Sumgait, and their Armenian ancestral lands of Arstakh (FORMERLY known as Nagorno-Karabagh). Then you fire grad rockets into said Armenian civilian villages as means to clear out the indigenous Armenian population so that you can get more free ARMENIAN land the way you got some from Stalin. . . . . .then that same Armenian population outnumbered 5 to 1 begins resisting and defending itself, then it pummels and crushes your military advances, then it takes fortified Azeri military checkpoints said to have been "impossible" to overtake such as Keljabar . . . . then you lose the war you started yourself, then you sign a ceasefire . . then for 20 years you violate that ceasefire after you got a break from the war . . . .then you begin you threats again just like you did in 1990 . . . then you violate the line of contact again and again . . . .THEN you have then nerve claim that you are not a threat to regional security?
Be happy we stopped before Baku and tell your government to calm down, next time the Russians won't feel sorry for you and won't prevent Armenians to dance in the streets of Baku and go to the bathroom in Aliyev's palace.


Lourdes M. Martinez, Partner, Garfunkel Wild, P.C.
What are the unique aspects of DSRIP Compliance programs?
Ideas for PPS leads and partners juggling multiple compliance program and DSRIP Compliance program needs.
What are DSRIP Compliance, Privacy and Security risks that PPS leads and partners should look for?
What are OCR's HIPAA enforcement priorities?
What industry compliance issues does OCR continue to see when enforcing HIPAA?


text:
HBO's "Entourage" Ends on a High.
June 29, 2012 by aok6666 Leave a Comment
Entourage came to an end this year with its eighth and final series. The show revolves around up and coming Hollywood heart-throb Vince and his motley crew. There's his best friend and manager E, his less successful actor brother Drama (played by Kevin Dillon, the less successful actor brother of Matt), his friend and gofer Turtle, and his agent Ari, and his wife, assistant and various love interests.
It's Mark Wahlberg's baby, and all of the characters are based unashamedly and far from loosely on his own real life cast of characters. It could easily have been insufferable, like watching one of those never-ending in-jokes that Sinatra and his rat pack used to make in Las Vegas and release as a movie. As with drugs, fun to do, oh so tedious to watch.
But thanks to its clever plotting, gentle banter and pitch-perfect performances it managed instead to be irrepressibly effervescent. Basically 30 Rock for boys, it was impossible not to be charmed. Or at least it was for its first few series'.
American TV series are written in the spirit of un-diluted capitalism. Once a show has got beyond its pilot and graduated into its first and second series, its numbers are relentlessly poured over. And the writers are called back in and told which of their storylines have and have not worked, and which elements of the show need to be dialed up and which ones quietly shelved.
So that frequently, later episodes in a series have been completely re-imagined in response to how the audience reacted to the different storylines in the first few episodes.
Unsurprisingly, this can sometimes be disastrous. Series 2 of Twin Peaks, and much of the latter half of Lost being obvious examples. But here it has to be admitted the system has undeniably worked.
What had been so endearing about the troupe initially was that, despite all the outward appearances of living the wet dream in an endless reel of uninhibited debauchery and unrestrained hedonism, all of their lives sucked. Every one of their relationships was a complete disaster.
But by the time we get to series 5, and especially 6 and 7, they have each become so garishly successful, that everything else about their lives has been drowned out. You'd have episodes in which one character gives the other a Maserati, and then later they race one another at the traffic lights.
Nobody minds seeing success, in fact we love watching pretty young things living the dream, so long as they are all profoundly and visibly unhappy. Thankfully, the homework was done, and the writers duly responded. And accordingly, come series 8 absolutely everything is going wrong for each and every one of them, and in every conceivable way. It's great.
There's talk at the moment of a movie follow-up. Let's hope they hurry up and script it. They're back on a roll.
Sign up for a subscription right or below, and I shall keep you posted every week with All the Very Best and Worst in Film, Television and Music!
Filed Under: Television Tagged With: Entourage, HBO, Mark Wahlberg, Twin Peaks
Dexys' "One Day I'm Going To Soar" Triumphs.
When news surfaced of the return of Kevin Rowland and Dexys, they of the Midnight Runners, there was an understandable air of scepticism. Not another middle-aged has-been trying to relive past glories and cash in on a dusty back catalogue. But very quickly, word got out that this was the real deal. An actual return to form.
One Day I'm Going To Soar is the fourth album from Dexys and their first since Don't Stand Me Down in 1985, the inevitably doomed follow-up to the all-conquering Too-Rye-Ay 27 years ago.
The latter had produced the world-wide sensation "Come On Eileen", the best selling single of 1982. Not to mention of course the Van Morrison cover "Jackie Wilson Said", another hit single which they performed so memorably on TOTP while holding a portrait of the Scottish darts heart-throb Jocky Wilson.
Incredibly, to the complete shock of everyone working in the music industry, as soon as they had achieved their overnight success Dexys promptly imploded.
In fairness, of all the people suddenly thrust into the limelight, Rowland was probably the least well equipped to cope with its glare. And after the traditional sacking of band mates, falling out with record labels and descent into drug addiction, he eventually produced the questionably honest solo album My Beauty for Creation Records (immediately before they imploded) in 1999. That's him on its cover sporting a fetching dress.
So it was to everyone's amazement and, frankly relief that the British music press began to report in May that the new Dexys tour was something of a sensation. The shy but ever reliable Simon Price summed up their reaction in his Independent On Sunday piece here.
And what all the fuss was about became blindingly obvious when they appeared on Later with Jools Holland where they began, ballsily, with a performance of "Come On Eileen" which you can see here. That's how you take the dry air of a television studio and set the building on fire.
Essentially a concept album, One Day I'm Going To Soar centres around the five tracks that chart Rowland as he falls hopelessly in, and then just as unexpectedly and as inexplicably out of love with the object of his desire.
Lyrically, it's reminiscent of Dylan in the early 70s. But when the latter sang love is all there is, it makes the world go 'round, it was easy to miss quite how profound a realization this was, despite coming from one of the most sophisticated lyricists of the 20th century as it was delivered in such an off-hand manner.
There's no mistaking the pain and heartache that have led Rowland to exactly the same conclusion. You can hear it in that still remarkable voice, and it's made all the more palpable by his apparent inability to hold and hang on to love.
Brutally honest, but gloriously expansive musically speaking, there are any number of echoes of the early and mid 70s throughout, from the Stylistics and Sylvester to Sly and The Family Stone. But the principle constellation is still Van Morrison. And it's one that Rowland and Dexys are comfortably capable of living with. A triumphant return and a stellar album.
Filed Under: Music Tagged With: Bob Dylan, Dexys, Dexys Midnight Runners, Jools Holland, Kevin Rowland, Van Morrison
BBC2's Superb "Afghanistan: The Great Game, A Personal View by Rory Stewart".
Rory Stewart is the perfect guide to walk us through the last few hundred years that the people of Afghanistan have been forced to suffer through.
Not yet 40 and currently serving as a Tory MP, he was a star pupil at Eton where he actively supported the Labour Party, and then at Oxford and Harvard, before working as a diplomat in the Balkans, and as a senior coalition official in Iraq between 2004-5. But he is probably best known for his award winning book The Places in Between, which charts his 32 day trek across Afghanistan in 2002.
So he is naturally reluctant to draw any obvious parallels between the disastrous campaigns conducted in Afghanistan in the past, and those that the people there have been subjected to more recently. Which only serves to make those comparisons all the more conspicuous.
The first part of his BBC2 programme focused on the British and Russians as they fought for influence in the region during the 19th century, in what came to be known as the Great Game. Whilst the second looked at the Russians and the Americans as they fought for exactly the same reasons, in exactly the same region, and with exactly the same results, in the 1970s and throughout the 1980s.
One of the more interesting elements in Stewart's measured yet impassioned programme was that, far from stumbling blindly into the region both the British and especially the Russians knew perfectly well how fraught with danger, politically and militarily, meddling in Afghanistan was. But they felt obliged to do so anyway, for fear of appearing weak to the competing superpower on the other side of the fence.
The results were, almost needless to say, disastrous. You can practically trace the dotted line linking the CIA's clumsy and staggeringly miscalculated attempt to make up for the shame of Vietnam by arming the mujahedeen to the teeth in the 80s, and the destruction of the Twin Towers 20 years later.
America's response of then stampeding blindly back into, where else, but Afghanistan was as predictable as it was, from America's own perspective, tragic. That, of all things, a British prime minister should have been so impervious to history to have so willingly followed them in there is, again, almost beyond belief. God save us all from conviction politicians.
One of the things that this programme was particularly good at was reminding us all that, as bad as it was for the powers engaged there in their vain pursuit of influence, it was of course immeasurably worse for all the actual Afghans there caught in the resulting crossfire.
This is the sort of thing that the BBC still does so well. And Stewart is, demonstrably, something of a star.
Filed Under: Television Tagged With: Afghanistan, BBC2, CIA, Rory Stewart
"The Raid", Cracking Blockbuster, Shot For Barely $1m.
June 8, 2012 by aok6666 Leave a Comment
The Raid is, to say the least, something of an oddity. An Indonesian martial arts film made by a Welshman, and shot for just $1.1m. But what renders it especially odd is that it's really good.
Essentially, it's Die Hard re-imagined as a Bruce Lee film. Our hero is a young, honest and therefore world-weary cop who arrives with his unit at a derelict housing block to take on an underworld drugs baron holed up in one of Jakarta's most notorious slums.
The whole thing takes place in the building they try to storm. And it's exhilarating. It just builds and builds. It's as unrelenting an adrenalin rush as you're likely to get short of turning to the sorts of people our hero is trying to rid the Jakarta streets of.
Written, directed and edited, brilliantly, by Gareth Evans, this is the second time he has teamed up Iko Uwais, his leading man, and a figure apparently revered in the sorts of circles where the Indonesian martial art of Pencak Silat is practiced.
They'd previously made Merantau together in 2009. And thanks to the buzz generated by The Raid, they're likely to be working together for the foreseeable future.
Hollywood has already picked it up and entrusted them both to oversee the remake, together with their chief choreographers. And the same team are busy at work on what will now be the sequel, Berandal in what looks sure to be (at the very least) a trilogy.
It seems unlikely, judging from what little there is in the way of conventional characterization, that Evans will be graduating to more traditional story-telling any time soon. But why would he want to? He's the natural heir to John Carpenter.
He looks at what all the big studios try to do with their leading men. And marvels, as we all do, at how inexplicably dull and dreary the results, and at how staggeringly inept they are at it. And says, I could do that, only much, much better, for a fraction of the cost, and with somebody much more interesting. This is the result.
This year's surprise package, The Raid has been wooing audiences the world over. It won the Best Film and the Audience award at 2012 Dublin film festival. And, to pick just one example, the five star review the Guardian gave it here, summed up most people's response to it.
And if you'd like to get a quick feel for how they made it, have a look at the five minute making-of vimeo clip they posted on the film's blog, here.
Filed Under: Film Tagged With: Bruce Lee, Dublin Film Festival, Gareth Evans, The Raid


text:
Twitter says suspending 'God' for a pro-LGBTQ tweet was an 'error'
IRL Unclick
Dominic-Madori Davis—
2019-06-14 04:14 pm | Last updated 2019-06-14 04:25 pm
Michelangelo/Wikipedia (Public Domain)
It seems Twitter backed down after mistakenly picking a fight with a higher power.
This week, writer-producer David Javerbaum, whose Twitter handle and display are @TheTweetOfGod and "God," respectively was suspended from the social site after tweeting in support of the LGBTQ community.
"If gay people are a mistake, they're a mistake I've made hundreds of millions of times, which proves I'm incompetent and shouldn't be relied upon for anything," he tweeted.
If gay people are a mistake, they're a mistake I've made hundreds of millions of times, which proves I'm incompetent and shouldn't be relied upon for anything.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) June 11, 2019
Despite getting praise and thousands of retweets, Twitter suspended the account for "violating rules against hateful conduct."
What the fuck, Twitter.
What the fuck.
What the fuck is this. pic.twitter.com/NQwcRXFWg7
Shortly after, Twitter issued a statement to God saying its support team had made an "error" and later determined there was "no violation."
God, however, was less than impressed.
"Please," God responded to the statement. "Don't try to make all kissy-kissy with Me now, Twitter. It's too late. You messed with the wrong Near Eastern Bronze Age sky-father-king projection. By the time I'm done with you, MYSPACE will laugh at your relevance."
"Hello God".
Don't try to make all kissy-kissy with Me now, Twitter. It's too late.
You messed with the wrong Near Eastern Bronze Age sky-father-king projection.
By the time I'm done with you, MYSPACE will laugh at your relevance. pic.twitter.com/5tasH3X0t4
Stay in your lane, Twitter.
'You were at my wedding Denise' stirs controversy again with 'lubed legs' tweet
Woman's horrific restaurant experience highlights the ableism of plastic straw bans
The construction dad Instagram influencer was just an elaborate marketing stunt
H/T PinkNews
Dominic-Madori Davis is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California. She covers the internet, politics, and social issues.
Btw God Lgbtq Pride Twitter


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Red Raiders add California cornerback
Texas Tech has added a late signee, California high school cornerback Thierry Nguema, to its 2011 football recruiting class, a Tech spokesman said Tuesday.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Nguema plays at Santiago High School in Carona, Calif., east of Los Angeles. As a senior last season, he was credited with 41 tackles, made two interceptions and caused a fumble. He returned 12 kickoffs for a 30.8-yard average. The team finished 4-6.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise and the Los Angeles Times reported that Nguema took a late visit to Tech.
Even more firm
Houston Westbury offensive tackle Christian Okafor, who orally committed to Tech in January, said his visit to Lubbock for Saturday's spring game made his pledge more solid.
"When I went there this past weekend, that helped me even more with my decision, made me feel better about the decision I made," Okafor said. "Seeing all those people out there supporting the football team, that helped me with my choice."
The 6-6, 310-pound Okafor is one of five players who have pledged to Tech for the 2012 class, which signs in February. He has other scholarship offers from Baylor, Houston and Mississippi State.
"I wouldn't have considered any other places. I think Texas Tech is the best school for me academically and athletically," said Okafor, who has a 3.4 grade-point average and plans to study chemistry and pre-med.
Christian Okafor is a younger brother of Mickey Okafor, the Red Raiders' returning starter at right tackle.
"We're similar," Okafor said. "I watch him play and I say that. He run blocks a little better than I do, but I can work on that."
To comment on this story:
don.williams@lubbockonline.com • 766-8734
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com • 766-8735


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Home/August 2015 Newsletter
E-Progress Report of The Hormel Institute
MESSAGE FROM DR. ZIGANG DONG, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Progress in the fight against cancer cannot be made without great community support. The Hormel Institute is very fortunate to have the significant and continuing support of our good friends with the Lyle Area Cancer organization, who earlier this year topped $2 million in overall fundraising over 36 years through the 5th District Eagles Cancer Telethon. The Hormel Institute receives major funding – $255,000 this year – from the Eagles Cancer Telethon along with Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. Last month, we were honored to host about 80 volunteers from Lyle Area Cancer to thank them personally and give a special presentation and tour. Community support such as this is vital for cancer research – providing needed funds along with great encouragement for our researchers. Please consider giving a gift of your own toward The Hormel Institute's Live Learning Center to support state-of-the-art technology. It will greatly enhance and ease our researchers' ability to broadcast their discoveries to a global audience, connect with other scientists for cancer research collaborations and learn from other leading researchers whether they present in our new 250 seat lecture hall or via high-definition video conferencing. As we plan to double our staff toward about 250 employees in the coming years, The Hormel Institute will need this space to accommodate our meetings and presentations. BECOME PART OF THE PROGRESS – YOUR GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. We ask you to join us with your tax-deductible support for this important project. All gifts are welcome and much appreciated. Donors who give $500 and higher will be honored on a new, beautiful donor wall in the Live Learning Center. Those who give $1,000 or more also will be invited to a historic reception for the first International Cancer Research Conference held in the Live Learning Center as part of the June 1, 2016, Grand Opening.
Thank you for your interest and support. We all are "Coming Together for the Cure."
In friendship,
Zigang Dong, M.D., Dr. P.H.
NCI awards $1.7 million federal grant to Dr. Dong for skin cancer research
Preventing and treating sun-induced skin cancer will be targeted over the next five years under a $1.7 million grant recently awarded to The Hormel Institute's Executive Director Dr. Zigang Dong. Under the grant from the National Cancer Institute – part of the federal National Institutes of Health – researchers will further investigate a molecular target that could be a key for preventing and treating skin cancer induced by the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is the third NCI grant – each for $1.7 million over five years – awarded to The Hormel Institute since this spring, which included another grant awarded to Dong, who co-leads the Cellular & Molecular Biology section with Associate Director Dr. Ann M. Bode. For more details on the project, read "Institute awarded $1.7 million grant."
Dr. Dong named one of key presenters at international conference in South Korea
Executive Director Dr. Zigang Dong has been named one of the key speakers for this fall at the 6th International Conference on Food Factors: Bioconvergence for Food Function in Seoul, South Korea. Dong will present on "Precision Medicine of Cancer: Targeted Prevention and Therapy." He will be one of six key lecture speakers, with the others coming from universities in China, England, Ireland, Japan and South Korea. The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology is organizing the event that happens every four years and brings together global experts in food factors that reduce the risk of lifestyle-related diseases. Food factors for health promotion and disease prevention is one of the focus areas of this year's conference. About 1,500 people from more than 40 countries are expected to attend.
Dr. Hinchcliffe co-authors paper published, featured on scientific journal cover
A paper co-authored by The Hormel Institute's Dr. Edward Hinchcliffe is published in and featured on the cover of the latest issue of "Molecular Reproduction & Development" journal. Hinchcliffe wrote the article, "It's All About the Pentiums: The Use, Manipulation, and Storage of Digital Microscopy Imaging Data for the Biological Sciences" with Dr. Jessica Hornick of the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center in Chicago. The paper focuses on digital microscopy, providing tips for properly using image file types in processing, analyzing and archiving light-microscopy data. This past month, Hinchcliffe, who leads the Institute's Cellular Dynamics research section, also gave a symposium lecture July 8 at the 9th Cell Cycle Meeting at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and participated as a faculty mentor July 17-20 in the 2nd American Society for Cell Biology Minorities Affairs Committee's Faculty Research Education Development (FRED) workshop at the University of Houston.
Dr. Robinson, Mayo Clinic's Dr. Iyer present seminars at Institute
One of The Hormel Institute's newest faculty members, Dr. James Robinson, gave an internal seminar lecture July 16 titled, "Elucidating novel targets for therapeutic intervention in colon cancer and melanoma." Robinson, who joined The Hormel Institute last fall, leads the Cell Signaling and Tumorigenesis research section. On July 30, Dr. Prasad Iyer of Mayo Clinic in Rochester gave a guest lecture titled, " Role of Obesity in Esophageal Carcinogenesis. " Iyer is an associate professor at Mayo Clinic's College of Medicine and is the director of post-doctoral programs at the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical & Translational Science. Both lectures were part of the Institute's internal, biweekly seminars on research projects to generate feedback on projects and foster scientific collaborations.
National Cancer Institute provides helpful information on cancer staging
Staging is the way a person's cancer severity is described based on the size and/or extent of the original tumor and whether cancer has spread or metastasized in the body, according to the National Cancer Institute. Cancer staging can help doctors plan the proper treatment for a patient and can be used to estimate the patient's prognosis. Research at The Hormel Institute takes a comprehensive approach to understanding cancer at all levels, ranging from researching ways to better detect certain types of cancer at an early stage to investigating new strategies to block cancer from metastasizing or spreading within the body.
For more, read NCI's cancer staging information.
Progress continues on The Hormel Institute's 2014-16 expansion
The Hormel Institute's future Live Learning Center has started taking shape in recent weeks, with most of the walls now up on the 250-seat lecture hall and multipurpose conference room being built off the Institute's west side. Progress also is continuing on the Institute's east expansion of 20 state-of-the-art laboratories, with mostly interior work being done now. Construction on both projects – totaling about $31.5 million – is projected to be done by late this year, with final interior details completed before the June 1, 2016, grand opening celebration.
For more, view the latest photos of the expansion progress.
Employment opportunities increasing at Institute with expansion
As construction continues to double the size of The Hormel Institute's facilities, the additional space also is expected to nearly double the Institute's overall employment in the coming years. Numerous employment opportunities – both scientific (such as lab technicians, junior scientists, post-docs scientists and principal investigators) and non-scientific (support staff) – will be posted by The Hormel Institute in the months ahead, and several jobs are available now for applications. Those hired for the positions become University of Minnesota employees through The Hormel Institute. For more, view The Hormel Institute's current job postings and share with others who might be interested in joining our world-renowned cancer research team.
Karl Potach Memorial Golf Tournament prepares for 18th annual fundraiser
Register now for golf, dinner or both at the 18th annual Karl Potach Memorial Golf Tournament set for Monday, Aug. 17, at the Austin Country Club. This extraordinary golf tourney and dinner/auction is in memory of Karl Potach, who passed away at age 4 from a form of pediatric cancer known as Wilm's tumor. Overall, nearly $317,000 has been donated since 2008 by the Karl Tourney to The Hormel Institute to support cutting-edge research into Wilm's tumor. Last year, the Karl Tourney made its biggest donation yet of $60,000 to the Institute.
For more about Karl and this special event, visit the Karl R. Potach Foundation website.
Ryan Gordon Memorial Golf Tournament donates $6,800 for Institute's research
An annual event in memory of Ryan Gordon – an Adams, Minn., native who passed away in 2011 at age 42 from stomach cancer – now has raised $15,300 in support over three years for cancer research at The Hormel Institute. In July, Ryan's parents Roger and Shirley Gordon along with his brother Chad Gordon presented a $6,800 donation to Executive Director Dr. Zigang Dong from this year's 3rd annual Ryan Gordon Memorial Golf Tournament & Silent Auction. The event was held June 20 at the Cedar River Golf Course in Adams.
AHS Class of 1967 continues annual golf fundraiser to support Institute
Class reunions sometimes raise money for charity during their gatherings, and The Hormel Institute has been fortunate over the years to be the recipient of these donations, with many being $300 or more for the reunion class to get a panel on our beautiful Donor Recognition Wall. One reunion group – the Austin High School Class of 1967 – has had annual golf gathering that raises funds for The Hormel Institute's cancer research. Led by Terry Barnett, the Class of 1967 made another donation in July, putting it at nearly $3,200 donated since 2010 to the Institute. As with any donation to The Hormel Institute, 100 percent directly funds cancer research.
Austin Packers' 'Pink Out' football game for breast cancer research Aug. 28
This year's "Pink Out" fundraiser by the Austin Packers football team and parents for The Hormel Institute's breast cancer research will be the home opener on Friday, Aug. 28. The Austin Packers will play the Winona Winhawks at Hass Stadium, with pink shirts and other pink décor being part of the game that raises money for The Hormel Institute's breast cancer research through the annual "Paint the Town Pink" initiative. Since 2012, the team's "Pink Out" fundraising has raised nearly $3,900 for the Institute's breast cancer research.
Bubbles, scientific art to be featured by Institute for upcoming ArtWorks Festival
As part of the 4th annual Austin ArtWorks Festival, The Hormel Institute once again will display colorful scientific images taken at a microscopic level Aug. 22-23 at the Historic Downtown Power Plant. Festival organizers also are planning a massive bubbles-blowing event at 12 PM on Aug. 22 along Austin's North Main Street downtown. The Hormel Institute plans to have a large beaker cutout that will emit bubbles as part of this new, highly fun event. For more, view the Austin ArtWorks Festival's schedule of events.
Institute researcher, wife featured for their extensive work with growing daylilies
Dr. Michael Grossmann, a cancer researcher at The Hormel Institute, and his wife, Kathy, were featured recently in the Rochester Post-Bulletin newspaper for their love of daylily flowers. Dr. Grossmann, who works in the Nutrition & Metabolism section led by Dr. Margot Cleary, knows how to hybridize daylilies. Together, he and his wife run their Northern Lights Daylilies gardens in West Concord, Minn.
Institute thanks community in Freedom Fest parade, hosts summer open house
Faculty and staff of The Hormel Institute along with their family members participated July 4 in Austin's annual Freedom Fest parade to thank the community for its significant and ongoing support of the Institute's world-class cancer research and growth. The Institute parade unit's lead car carried breast cancer survivor Stephanie Blaser of Austin. On July 16, The Hormel Institute also hosted three evening tours as part of its annual summer open house. Attendees learned about the Institute's seven-decade history, leading cancer research and 2014-16 expansion as well as toured the facilities created by the 2006-2008 major expansion and renovation.
For more, view photos from the open house.
"Like" The Hormel Institute on Facebook to get updates in your news feed on The Hormel Institute's world-renowned cancer research, the 2014-16 expansion, fundraising events throughout the year, cancer prevention tips and much more. The page's content is open to the public – you do not need to be a Facebook member/user.
For more information about The Hormel Institute, please contact us at: info@hi.umn.edu
The Hormel Institute Today's Research, Tomorrow's Cures
admin2015-08-07T13:18:39-05:00August 7th, 2015|


Now you can send money to your friends, family & business partners directly into their Bank Account from any Easypaisa shop in the most efficient, secure and convenient way.
Easypaisa Bank Transfer to Bank Account allows customers to send money to their friends, family and business partners directly into their Bank Account from any Easypaisa shop in the most efficient, secure and convenient way. Like a shopkeeper who wants to transfer funds to supplier may directly send into the supplier's bank account.
Anyone can use this service to send money to any 1-Link connected bank account instantly. This facility is also available on weekends/public holidays and even after banking hours. It has now become easier for the people living in the rural areas to send money to bank accounts in real-time without the hassle of visiting a bank branch.
Who can use it? What are the benefits? What are the sending limits?
Any person with a valid Nadra CNIC or Easypaisa mobile account can send money to a bank account.
This service is not limited to Telenor subscribers; other mobile network subscribers can also use this service.
Money can be sent to accounts of all 1-Link connected banks.
No more waiting in long lines; Bank Transfer can be done even at late hours and over the weekend.
There is no paperwork or form-filling required.
An instant SMS message will be sent to both the Sender and the Receiver on sending/receiving money.
Easy Bank Transfer in secure and approved by the State Bank of Pakistan.
Bring your original Nadra CNIC with a photocopy to any Telenor Franchise, Customer Care Center or Easypaisa Agent.
Provide your CNIC number and mobile number to Easypaisa Agent.
Provide the deposit amount, receiver's mobile number, Bank's name and Bank Account number to Easypaisa Agent.
Confirm the receiver's Bank Account Title before transaction is processed by Easypaisa Agent.
Sender and receiver will get a confirmation SMS from 3737 once the transaction is successful.
Please collect the stamped receipt from the Easypaisa Agent.
Expired Nadra CNICs will not be accepted for sending money to Bank Accounts.
Multiple transactions on a single CNIC can be performed in a month. There is no limit to how much money can be received by a single Bank Account through this service.
Can we deposit amount to any bank through Easypaisa Bank Transfer?
All the 1Link connected banks can receive amount through Easypaisa Bank Transfer.
Can we deposit amount after banking hours or on bank holidays?
Yes, you can send up to Rs. 25,000 per month on a CNIC. There is no limit on number of transactions per CNIC in a month.
Does a customer need to register to avail this service?
No, there is no requirement for the sender or the receiver to be registered.
Who can make a Bank Transfer transaction? Is it for Telenor customers only?
Any person can send and receive money through Easypaisa Bank Transfer. The only requirement is that sender should hold a valid NADRA CNIC and submit photocopy of their CNICs to Easypaisa merchants while doing transaction. Expired CNICs will not be accepted.
Does a customer need to have a mobile phone to avail this service?
From where can a customer perform Easypaisa Bank Transfer?
For Easypaisa Bank Transfer, a customer can approach any Telenor S&SC, Telenor Microfinance Bank branch, Telenor Franchise or any Easypaisa shop. Such shops can be identified by the original Certificate from the licensing Bank placed at the shop. Telenor will not be responsible for any service complaints from un-authorized merchants.
How long does the Easypaisa Bank Transfer transaction take? How long does the Receiver have to wait after a Sender has sent money?
Easypaisa Bank Transfer sending or receiving is done instantly.
Will the customer get a receipt or any SMS notification after the transaction?
SMS notification will be sent to the sender and the receiver at the time money is sent. This is only if both sender and receiver mobile phone numbers have been entered.
Through Easypaisa Money Transfer facility, you can now send and receive money from any Easypaisa shop across Pakistan.


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Blog, Electrical Power Generation, Fossil Fuels, News
MIT Plan for Action on Climate Change
On October 21st the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) issued its Plan for Action on Climate Change. This document was the culmination of a year of discussions within the MIT community on the risks of climate change and the role that MIT should play as a leader on climate sciences and energy innovation. MIT's position is that overwhelming evidence shows that the world is warmer than it was in the pre-industrial age, and that present-day climate change is due to human activity, in particular the emission of greenhouse gasses. MIT supports the 2C Challenge which aims to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and sees the need for a world-wide, aggressive but pragmatic transition plan to achieve a zero-carbon energy system.
The Plan for Action will focus MIT resources on the following actions:
Improve the understanding of climate change and advance novel, targeted mitigation and adaptation solutions.
Accelerate progress towards low- and zero-carbon energy technologies. This includes collaboration with a diverse group of companies to launch eight Low-Carbon Energy Centers with 5-year funding close to $300 million.
Educate a new generation of climate, energy and environmental innovators.
Share what we know, and learn from others around the world.
Use the MIT community as a test bed for change.
OWOE fully supports MIT on this issue and believes their active involvement will help accelerate the United States' transition to a future economy based on renewable energy. But there is another aspect of the Plan that is crucial to the discussion and mirrors one of the fundamental premises of OWOE, i.e., that such a transition is a complex and challenging effort that will require involvement and support from all stake-holders, including the fossil fuel industry. The MIT Plan for Action specifically addresses a petition presented by a student-led group called Fossil Free MIT for the university to divest any holdings in a group of 200 fossil fuel companies. MIT's conclusion was that a symbolic public gesture of divestment would not be the most effective approach and would interfere with the more promising strategies of active engagement and bold convening. They stated that they "deplore the practice of disinformation, through which some industry players and related groups have obstructed public understanding of the climate problem". However, the reality is that these fossil fuel companies have mastered the challenges of delivering energy to millions of households, are a rich source of technical talent, and can, and must be, a part of the solution.
OWOE hopes that MIT, as one of the pre-eminent universities and research centers in the world, can help move the US quickly from arguing about the fundamental science behind climate change and into a constructive, collaborative effort to address the challenges. The transition to a renewable energy future will require the support of utilities, who will continue to generate centralized power and manage the electrical grid which delivers it, and the oil and gas industry, who must continue to provide fuel for transportation and heating until viable alternatives in sufficient quantities are available.
For more details, see: MIT Plan for Action
Disclaimer: William Luyties, founder of OWOE, is an MIT graduate who spent 32 years in the oil and gas industry and 7 years in the electrical utility business.
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Medical Assistants serve in many aspects of healthcare and work in a clinical setting to provide support to individuals licensed to practice medicine. Medical Assistants perform aseptic procedures, take vital signs, prepare patients for examinations, perform blood withdrawals, perform non-intravenous injections, provide first aid and assist in office, clinical and laboratory functions.
Career opportunities as a Medical Assistant include working in hospitals, specialized health facilities, clinics, outpatient care centers, hospice, nursing homes and extended care facilities. The region's leading employers are seeking Southeast Tech graduates.
Completion of a background check and drug screen are required before classes start.
Bring Your Own Laptop (BYOL). You may purchase on your own or from the Southeast Tech Support Center.