T-Mobile/Spring Merger Announcement Today

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Yes sir and ma'am, it may get little coverage in these coronavirus pandemic days but T-Mobile and Spring made their big announcement this morning.

T-Mobile completes Sprint merger, 

promises ‘transformative 5G network’

And apparently it's not an April Fool's joke.

From the article:

After seemingly endless regulatory hurdles at the federal and state levels, T-Mobile announced today that it has completed its merger with Sprint, a deal it says will result in a “transformative 5G network” for consumers and businesses. As previously reported, the merger’s completion marks the end of John Legere’s tenure as T-Mobile’s chief executive and the beginning of Mike Sievert’s control over the third-largest U.S. cellular carrier.

Watch for layoffs to begin any time now, campers.

Meanwhile, the 2nd half of the article calls this out:

Today’s merger will bring together T-Mobile’s and Sprint’s separate but complementary network assets, combining wide but low-speed T-Mobile low band with mid-range, mid-speed Sprint mid band spectrum and short distance but high-speed T-Mobile high band spectrum. The combined “layer cake” will enable T-Mobile to offer 5G service that switches from fine to good to super-fast based on whatever network assets are locally available, assuming users have devices that can connect to all three types of 5G networks.

What in the world is that supposed to mean?

The combined “layer cake” will enable T-Mobile to offer 5G service that switches from fine to good to super-fast based on whatever network assets are locally available......assuming users have devices that can connect to all three types of 5G networks.

"Yes, the T-Mobile/Spring merger will give you a 'transformative 5G network...

If you're in JUST the right area.  With just the right equipment.  Sure, you'll have 5g connectivity for your computer."

"Maybe."

Thanks a lot, T-Mobile and Sprint.

The good news for this new fustercluck of a company?

They can hide the merger layoffs in the midst of this pandemic shutdown.

We can hardly wait. 

Additionally, we will all, the US, be going from four wireless cell phone giants down to three, keep in mind.

Watch for prices to increase, over time, citizens.

So yeah. Again. We can hardly wait.

Really.

Overland Park? Kansas? On This List??

I couldn't believe what I just saw online. It was this.

These Are the Happiest Cities 

in the United States

 - National Geographic

So I was curious and clicked on it. Thought I'd see if Kansas City were maybe on the list.

And it's not.

But I couldn't believe what was, what is on it.

Yes, our own Overland Park, Kansas.

Wow.

It's not in the top 10 but it is, in fact, number 15.

On a list with the likes of Huntington Beach, CA (9) and San Francisco (13).

Overland Park??

Are you kidding me?

And they're happy?

Why, because they have all the strip centers they could possibly ever want?

No, I think it's because they have Kansas City, Missouri's Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Kansas City Royals Major League Baseball team and Kansas City Chiefs National Football League team and the Country Club Plaza--and a lot more--not far away, minutes away, in our own Kansas City, Missouri.

Yeah.

That's it.

Kansas City On Parade

Some videos I found.




Have a great weekend, y'all.

Hometown Sprint Gets Trashed

And they get trashed nationally and internationally, it seems. This from the New York Times today:

No Takeover, but Plenty of Taunts

Since becoming the chief executive of T-Mobile US, John J. Legere has been known for being outspoken. Still, as his company held merger talks with Sprint for much of this year, he was noticeably restrained in criticizing his rival.

But when Sprint officially announced on Wednesday that it had abandoned its plans to buy T-Mobile, Mr. Legere took the gloves off on Twitter.

“Is Sprint a melting ice cube? Looks like it to me. Join the cool brand now!” he taunted in one post.

“Join T-Mobile now and jump off the Sprint bus before it crashes,” he wrote in another.

Pretty fascinating stuff, really, since Sprint also just announced it's finally getting rid of what will likely, fortunately be the last Hesse family member to run the company.

Can you imagine talking to people and a company FOR A YEAR, just to have it all thrown away by that other side?

Anyway, the article goes on to explain how there aren't any other possible partner/suitors for Sprint and how they have  "had to grapple with steady customer losses as it spends billions of dollars to upgrade its network."  

Ouch.

All the while, the article goes on, it seems T-Mobile may still have suitors.

The article finishes describing Sprint's current situation (it's a good, comprehensive article and worth reading to know about Sprint and the larger markets, nationally. It finishes describing Sprint's current situation, with a new leader:

“The incoming C.E.O. is really going to have to resurrect the brand and come up with some new ideas.”

It could happen.

Links:  Sprint Goes Off Beaten Track for CEO

Sprint names Brightstar CEO as new chief

Overland Park, KS: 17th of the "Most Snobby Cities in America"

Not in the top 10 but a link to the full list here:

The 10 Snobbiest Cities In America

I mean seriously, Overland Park?

That's like being a snob about white bread.

Or macaroni and cheese.

(And Topeka, Kansas 48th?  TOPEKA?  Snobby?  Seriously?  About what? What IS there to the place, let alone to be snobbish about?)

Sprint prominent in NYT today

Confidence From Chief of SoftBank in Sprint Bid

Seems crazy they'd let a national communications company be purchased by a company outside the States, security and all.

Local attorney hits the big time

Breaking news tonight on Yahoo! News:

University of Utah orders investigation into coach's abuse; questions still to be answered

University of Utah president David Pershing has ordered an independent investigation on allegations of abuse during the tenure of suspended head swimming coach Greg Winslow.

In the wake of a Yahoo! Sports report detailing Winslow's alleged abuse, which ranges from forcing a student-athlete to swim with a long PVC pipe taped to his back to ordering another student-athlete to swim with a mesh bag over her head, Pershing has directed two lawyers – Michael Glazier of Kansas City and Alan Sullivan of Salt Lake City – to lead the investigation.

Link: 

Michael S. Glazier - Overland Park, KS Attorney 

Happy birthday, Villa Capri!

 

52 years young today.

 

(Nearly old as me).

Embarrassing craziness (selfish stupidity?) coming out of Overland Park

From The Hutchinson News today:

Laughable legislation

Proposed bill would guarantee perpetual employment for lawmakers

Kansas Senator Greg Smith, R-Overland Park, has introduced one of the most absurd pieces of legislation to ever see the light of day.

Senate Bill 119, introduced on Monday, would offer employment protection for legislators who find themselves unemployed due to a failed re-election bid. According to the bill, legislators who give proper notice to their employers before taking office - either through election or appointment - would be guaranteed a return to those same positions - with the same pay, seniority and responsibility level - they would have enjoyed had they never left the job at all.

Essentially, the bill aims to treat a stint in Topeka much like a leave of absence for medical reasons or military duty.

 

Apparently, Mr. Smith has no shame.

 

Seriously, the greed, selfishness and/or stupidity coming out of the statehouse and even the governor's mansion in Topeka seems unparalleled lately.

Big weekend for Kansas City

Yes sir, a big few to several days coming up for the metropolitan area.

First up, Saturday night, Waterfire on Brush Creek on the Plaza. A great, fun, unique and free event.

Next up, also Saturday night, the defacto Hallowe'en Saturday night since the actual Hallowe'en falls a few days later on a week night. It will likely be crazy.

Because the full moon is the 29th, it's rather perfectly situated as nearly full for Saturday night and then, again, nearly full on the actual Hallowe'en, the 31st.

I'm thinking it's going to be at least a crazy weekend in the area, if not also a deadly one for some.

Here's hoping I'm wrong on that last point.

Happy Hallowe'en, y'all. See you at Waterfire.

Link: http://moravings.blogspot.com/2011/10/brush-creek-two-fer-tonight.html

To the Overland Park prudes

With love

You overly-religious, closed-minded, Right Wing, ridiculously conservative zealots.

With much thanks to Meesha.

Link: http://kcmeesha.com/

Good news for Google and Kansas City, likely bad for Sprint?

News out yesterday on the ever-changing technology and communications markets:

Phone cos. lose broadband subscribers for 1st time

NEW YORK (AP) — Phone companies are losing the high-speed Internet game. In the second quarter, the landline phone industry lost broadband subscribers for the first time, as cable companies continued to pile on new household and small business customers, thanks to the higher speeds they offer in most areas.

Good news for Google with their Google Fiber, sure. And good for Kansas City, since we're getting Google Fiber first in the nation.

But how about Sprint?

Are they part of the old-line phone companies, using the old utility poles and that more limited transmission capability?

It would seem so.

Sure, Sprint has the cell towers but they don't have the capabilities they write of here, in this article, that the cable companies have, it doesn't seem.

Anyway, the article then goes on to present some potentially bad news for us in time to come:

"The flow of subscribers from phone companies to cable providers could lead to a de facto monopoly on broadband in many areas of the U.S., say industry watchers. That could mean a lack of choice and higher prices."

So who really knows?

Things change and things are changing with such speed, it's difficult to say.

Just from right here, right now, and this vantage point, it doesn't look or sound good for Sprint.

Hopefully they think of something brilliant.

And quickly.

Link: http://news.yahoo.com/phone-cos-lose-broadband-subscribers-1st-time-205430306--finance.html

What Kansas City needs to do with Google fiber (if we can)

This occurred to me some time ago, when there was only still just talk of Google Fiber coming to town. I mentioned it to a Google employee earlier today at the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Public Library.

Wouldn't it be great if the area cities in our Kansas City metropolitan area could use this technology to reduce their costs mightily and coordinate the traffic lights across the city from Blue Springs to at least Olathe and from Platte City to Harrisonville?

Wow.

We could do so much for the city:

--increase productivity;

--reduce traffic jams and congestion;

--cut down on pollution;

--reduce the amount of gasoline we waste;

--possibly cut down or "road rage"

That's a lot, right there.

The city's always looking for ways to cut down on the amount of pollution and ozone we collectively put into the air as it is and we all look for ways to cut time out of our commutes.

Hopeully Google Fiber could reduce greatly the expense and complications of making this happen.

Here's hoping. Think happy thoughts.

And have a great weekend, ya'll.

Annual OP Greek Festival starts today at 5 pm!

Friday, June 8th - 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday, June 9th - 11:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday, June 10th - 11:00am to 8:00pm

DANCE PERFORMANCES:
Friday 6:00pm, 8:00pm
Saturday 11:30am, 2:00pm, 4:30pm, 6:30pm, 8:00pm
Sunday 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 5:30pm

For more information, check out their festival website at http://www.stdionysios.org/festival/index.php

Opa!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

In response, an online petition to KEEP the statue in Overland Park

Go here: http://www.change.org/petitions/do-not-remove-the-sculpture-at-the-overland-park-arboretum

And thank you, in advance.

Sheesh, some people...

This is for Joanne Hughes

I hope your kids see it.

Here's a hot tip, Ms. Hughes,gratis (that means free of charge)--don't ever take your kids to art galleries.

In the meantime, do us all a favor and leave us alone.

We can handle the human body.

And the real world.

Tell you what, Ms. Hughes, you leave us alone and let us place art wherever and we'll leave you alone about raising your kids.

Deal?

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/01/3638165/sculpture-incites-debate-is-it.html

Now, dead birds in Overland Park

More natural weirdness.

From the "You gotta' be kidding me" file

Breaking news Wednesday night: Overland Park woman reported missing for second time in five days I saw this repot a few days ago. Did no one think maybe she needed to be watched, this time around? Just asking. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/01/3404999/overland-park-woman-again-missing.html

Aisha Khan safe

Aisha Khan, the student at KU who disappeared four days ago has been found safe and sound, thankfully. But it's so odd. In the first and most important place, sure, she's fine. Thank goodness. But in the meantime, she was gone for those 4 days. At this time, the family isn't able or willing to say where she was or why. If police and other authorities spent time working and searching to find her, expending that time, energy and effort, it seems the least the public deserves is to know why she disappeared, if not where. Who can say, at this point? Anyway, it's just odd, really odd. If she felt she had to disappear because of some stalker or some such, it seems it could have been done without this big question. For now, we'll just have to wait for more information.

Good Samaritan finds money during the holidays...

How cool is that? Craig Colbert is one honest guy. Good on you, Mr. Colbert. Link: http://www.kctv5.com/story/16309474/good-samaritan-turns-in-money