Consumer advocates say the 3G shutdown will leave some of society’s most vulnerable people without critical communications tools. Many devices have moved to 4G networks and newer phones are now moving onto 5G. But a motley assortment still relies on the more rudimentary 3G service and consumer advocates are urging the Federal Communications Commission to slow the change, which is set to start in February 2022. Older and low-income Americans are more likely to be affected by the shift. If they don’t upgrade in time, their phones and life-alert devices won’t be able to call 911 or other emergency services, government regulators warn. Companies have long planned to phase out 3G networks to free up valuable resources for 5G networks, which carriers say will bring faster speeds and allow more mobile devices to connect than ever before. Phone carriers have resisted slowing the transition, arguing that they have warned for years that the transition is coming and that they’ve taken extensive steps to ensure that their customers aren’t disconnected. The FCC so far has taken a largely passive approach to the transition. The commission is “reviewing the record that’s been compiled on this issue,” said Paloma Perez, a spokeswoman for the FCC. In the meantime, consumer advocates are focusing on alerting city governments about the transition and how it might disproportionately affect low-income and elderly Americans, so they can take inventory of who in their communities might need to upgrade.

We love finding ways to simplify your business, and sometimes that means finding ways to simplify your life! We hope you enjoy these Thanksgiving tips and tricks, and look forward to hearing your ideas and favorite recipes!

1. Craft a Menu​
2. Review Menu and CUT items!
3. Plan Two Shopping Trips
4. Audit your Serving Dishes
5. Pre-Cook
6. Set the Table (and yourself)
7. Create Distractions away from the Kitchen
8. Delegate
9. Take Notes
10. Be Thankful

We are thankful for the inspiration from Wholefully.

We've included a Traditional, Contemporary, Unconventional and Outlier Menu to consider. Get inspired and start fresh, or mix and match these menus!

It's possible that you over-planned. Remember that while the food of Thanksgiving is a delight, being thankful should be in the spotlight. Cut a few of the items on the menu to make room for more love and thanks at your table!

Do an early shopping trip to get shelf-stable and frozen items. Be prepared for supply chain disruption by doing your Thanksgiving shopping right away. Plan for a second trip to get any forgotten items, or to satiate any last-minute whimsy!

Pull all those big platters and serving bowls off the top shelf of the cupboard. Identify which bowls will be best for the winning items on your menu. 

​Organize items in the Fridge and Pantry by Menu Item, to make for easy preparation and grocery shopping. Sticky Notes are your friend. 

Many of your menu items will allow for pre-cooking. Even the Turkey can be cooked and carved on Wednesday, and then heated in the oven and smothered in gravy an hour before it's time to eat! That solves a lot of the Turkey Day chaos! Casserole dishes with lids are great for storing, reheating and serving. If an item can't be cooked or baked beforehand, prepare it as much as possible (chopping, slicing, dicing, peeling). 

Set the table right after a quick breakfast or quiet cup of coffee. This is a key step to enjoying a fulfilling Thanksgiving dinner. Having the table set with a tablecloth, plates, bowls, glasses, silverware, napkins and centerpieces will minimize traffic in your kitchen right when hot pots and pans are moving about. It will also quickly identify which plates, forks and spoons are available for serving and stirring! 

The final steps in getting a beautiful dinner on the table always take longer than expected. Hit the shower and get dressed for the event before diving into the final cooking, so that you can continue managing the meal as guests arrive. 

Set out small bowls of nuts, pickles, olives, or snacks that fit your menu, far from the kitchen to keep guests moving and mingling without interrupting the final steps of dinner preparation. 

Consider non-food distractions, as well, like: 

• Placemat-making station: scrapbooking paper, scissors, glue, ribbon, sequins, leaves, markers
• Guestbook
• Thankful Wall: butcher paper rolled out on the wall, markers or crayons
• Beverage station: sodas, beer, wine, coffee, tea
  
• Water station: water dispenser, cups, marker or stickers to personalize cups

Our favorite tool for simplifying is delegating to others who can do the job better! Your sticky notes can help guide eager helpers. Have a few tasks or menu items in mind that can be stirred or frosted or finalized by someone who prefers to stay busy. 

Don't be shy about delegating desserts and sides, and even the main item to your favorite local restaurant or grocery store. Show your thankfulness for local business owners! 

Sometimes you figure out just the perfect way to make a magical moment. Take notes! We recommend putting the notes in a place where you'll be sure to see them, like somewhere in October or early November in your Google Calendar or Microsoft Office Calendar. Make it an annually recurring event, and continue to add to your notes each year! 

We like to encourage every guest at the table to share what they're most thankful for about from the last year. This is a wonderful way to give everyone an opportunity to talk, and to keep the focus on gratitude and thankfulness. 

If you want to delegate your Note-Taking process, also ask your guests what their favorite menu item was! 

We don't have exact data on how the Metaverse is going to impact Internet Speeds, but we predict the usage will be greater than the increase we saw when the pandemic first hit. There are still a lot of pieces that need to be worked out, but this is a good time to be rethinking your business systems and customer experience. 

• What would be easier in a 3D environment?
• What new way could your customers be engaged in 3D? 
• What new products/services could you offer if you could interact virtually with each customer? 
• How could your staff complete tasks faster or more easily?

Source Information: AP News