Category Archives: Golden Rule

Last year Oklahoma Heart Hospital switched up its vendor for appointment scheduling to great affect. As HIMSS Media reported at the time, switching to Relatient took the hospitals no-show rate down from around 6.5% to 5.1% and saved the hospital nearly a million dollars on an annual basis.

Jonathan Minson, lead software architect at OHH will present at HIMSS20 last month along with Relatient Chief Technology Officer Kevin Montgomery. Together, the two will speak about some lessons learned from that implementation.

Relatients mobile-first approach to appointment reminders, which includes text messages, phone calls, and web forms, offered OHH improvements in interoperability, transparency, and patient engagement without sacrificing privacy or security.

Minson said that as a software developer working in the healthcare space, hes used to working with vendors that are highly siloed compared to vendors in other industries.

But Relatient was not that way, he said. From day one we told them we needed an API so we could get your data and work it into our clinician workflow seamlessly and they were totally onboard. And so having that data transparency, they are able to offer the same type of technical capabilities that every other software partner outside of health care is offering these days, that was the big difference for us. And because of that, really what drove our declining no-show rate was data transparency."

Additionally, the company had a fresh approach to patient engagement which also presented a contrast to other companies hes worked with.

Their idea is, well, let's engage people as a health care institution the way that people engage each other, he said. We'll have higher adoption. And you know that it's absolutely the case that we've seen, as opposed to some other messaging tools we've used, which would send an e-mail to the patient saying go log in to the other website with credentials you may not even remember to see this important thing we need to tell you.

Minson says he and Montgomery plan to sum up these and other insights into what theyre calling the digital golden rule.

We need to treat our patients and business partners in the same way that we treat people and business partners outside of the healthcare space, he said.

That rule extends to how health systems think about privacy and security as well, MInson added, where the lesson we can learn from other industries is that data privacy is a manageable problem and shouldnt stand in the way of innovation.

Yes, we need to treat our patients' data with the utmost sanctity, I 100% believe in that, he said. But, you know, there are other industries that have equivalent if not more stringent privacy concerns like banking and people dealing with national defense issues.And I've worked with various people in those industries and they have made strides way beyond what we're making in health care. So this can be done. Instead of using thatas a reason not to innovate, use that as a launching point, to say, all right, we have to accept this world of HIPAA and privacy and the sanctity of patient data. Just don't let that stifle our growth.

Minson and Montgomery will be presenting "Achieving Patient Engagement in a Mobile-First Market" at HIMSS20. It is scheduled for 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 at the Orange Country Convention Center in room W303A.

Excerpt from:

Oklahoma Heart Hospital IT lead: Follow the 'digital golden rule' to improve outcomes, engagement - MobiHealthNews

For decades, Bill and Dawn Oswalt have been part of the fabric of Jaffrey, with Bill working his way from beat cop to police chief, and Dawn presiding over the tax collection office.

The couple plan to retire at the same time, with a retirement and thank-you party scheduled for both on Friday.

I will just miss the townspeople, Dawn said.Even though well still be here, itll be in a different light. I will miss the people.

I just hope weve been good for the town, Bill said.

Their expertise and long service will be missed.

Between the two of them, they have 56 years of service to the town. I thank them for their service. Theyre outstanding individuals and the town is lucky to have had them as long as we have, said Selectmen Frank Sterling, who was on the Select Board when Dawn and Bill were originally hired.

Sterling said Dawn stepped into her position when the previous tax collector resigned, and was left with the job of straightening out the accounts.

It was quite a feat, but she accomplished it, and since, has kept things perfect, he said.

And Sterling credits Bill Oswalts leadership in keeping the police department together and focused, and retaining officers.

Thats because of his leadership. Hes been terrific in that role, Sterling said.

Other police officers also offered praise for Bill Oswaltsleadership in the department.

I've known Bill for many years as a law enforcement officer, and we've worked together from time to time. He's an extraordinary police chief and the residents of Jaffrey have been served well by him, Peterborough Police Chief Scott Guinard said. And he'll be sorely missed by law enforcement and the residents as well. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Bill Oswalt grew up in central Iowa, in a small farming community. Dawn Oswalt is originally from Jaffrey. The two first met after entering the Navy in the mid-1970s at a stateside base in Maine. Both radio operators, they got to know each other through the job, and came to Jaffrey in 1979 to wed.

After six years in Iowa, working Bill Oswalts family farm, the couple came back to Jaffrey to settle for good in 1987.

With three young children to support, Dawn said she was looking for a job that would allow her to still be there for her family. Thats when her father pointed her to an advertisement in the paper, looking for a new tax collector in Jaffrey. Dawn, who had experience working in a bank, and loves math and numbers, said she tossed her hat in the ring. She got a call while she and her husband were on vacation in Iowa.

They said, You got the job, and How soon can you be back? she said.

Bill Oswaltdidnt join the police force until a few years later.

It had never been on my radar, he said, of a career in law enforcement.

He came to the job in a round-about way, he said, because of his experience in another town emergency service: The Fire Department. Dawns father was a member, and convinced him to join up. He got to see law enforcement in work during his initial years on the department, and the then-police chief asked him if he might be interested in a part-time position, which is how he started in the department. He eventually became a full-time officer in 1994 but he continued on in the fire department as well.

I kept the red lights in my personal vehicle, and when I wasnt on duty, Id show up as a firefighter, he said. And when I was on duty, I was an officer who knew how to prime a fire hydrant.

At their heart, both jobs were about interacting with people, Bill said.

We like totreat the people wedeal with with respect, kindness and dignity. Follow the Golden Rule, Bill said.

Listening is a huge skill, Dawn agreed.

The two will be retiring. Though they plan to continue living in Jaffrey, and continue running their pick-your-own blueberry operation on their property, they will be doing more traveling, particularly to visit Bills family still in Iowa, and their now-adult children and three grandchildren.

They know theyre leaving their departments in capable hands. Chelsie Snow is slated to step into the position of tax collector, and though no official announcement has been made about Bill Oswaltsreplacement in the police force, he said, the department has excellent leadership in his second-in-command, Lt. ToddMuilenberg, who has prior experience as a police chief.

A farewell party is planned for the Oswalts onFriday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jaffrey Fire Station.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. Shes on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.

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After three decades of service, Jaffrey's police chief and tax collector say it's time to retire - Monadnock Ledger Transcript

No one particularly enjoys feedback. Many managers feel uncomfortable giving it, either because of the employees reaction or because they simply struggle to translate their feedback into words. Equally, employees can fear to be on the receiving end of feedback, because they are concerned they wont be able to follow through on recommended improvements.

Halfof all managers dont think their team is comfortable receiving feedback and coaching. This is problematic for organisations and could explain whyover halfof employees only receive feedback from their manager a few times a year. Even for those who do receive regular feedback,only 23%feel its meaningful.

Ongoing, continuous feedback has beenprovento increase performance and motivation, while a lack of feedback stunts employee engagement and career growth, as well as increasing turnover and operational expenses.

HR leaders looking to improve their feedback processes should remind employees and managers of that ancient golden rule: treat others as you want to be treated.

Giving the right type of feedback is important it should incorporate both positive feedback for achievements and areas of improvement. Good feedback demonstrates to employees that their manager is investing in them and focusing on areas that will accelerate their career. If you can coach your managers to give the right type of feedback, your employees will likely respond well to it.

Research has shown57%of employees prefer corrective feedback to straight praise, and 92% of employees believe this type of feedback improves performance.

That said, there are many ways for feedback to go wrong; focusing solely on the positive, or just the negative or simply neutral feedback thats not at all helpful. Each of these methods misleads your staff. Employees who receive only positive feedback are never told how to improve and therefore cant be expected to reach their full potential.

Those who receive only negative feedback feel overlooked and burnt out from the lack of recognition. People who receive neutral feedback risk growing disengaged.

Feedback can be hard to process because it forces us to come to terms with two conflicting facets of human nature: the need to learn and grow and the drive to be accepted, respected, and loved the way we already are. Its therefore important to ensure employees learn how to receive feedback. While this may seem obvious, many employees either find feedback a tedious part of their job that they must endure, or they dont yet understand how to use it for their own growth.

When feedback is delivered promptly, the context is still fresh in our minds, so it is more relatable and valuable. We are better able to understand why we deserve the praise or constructive feedback we are receiving and can react to it with more clarity. Conversely, when feedback is given months later, the details of tasks are long gone, and any negative feedback will more likely be perceived as a personal attack.

When a new manager-employee relationship begins, managers should learn about the employees feedback tendencies and preferences. This will allow them to develop personalised feedback early on, preventing fraught situations down the line.

For those employees who push back, managers can then coach them on how their resistance impacts themselves, their colleagues and the business overall. Asking employees for their thoughts on the entire process will ensure their communication styles are understood and that they feel part of the process. This will also help managers provide more accurate feedback that aligns with employees individual goals.

Ongoing, frequent feedback is closely tied to progress.89%of HR professionals agree that employee performance will increase with more timely feedback and coaching from managers.Without continuous conversations and feedback, its tough to gauge our progress. With feedback, we understand how far weve gone and where we need to get to. Annual feedback loops turn far too slowly, these need to be much more frequent for employees and managers to give and receive the feedback they both deserve.

The ultimate goal when it comes to feedback is to make it as beneficial to employees and management as possible, and therefore as successful as possible. Ensuring managers treat their employees as they would want to be treated in that situation makes this possible. Giving the right type of feedback, at the right time, as part of a continuous process is what every employee should expect, and every organisation should provide.

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How to give employee feedback calmly and effectively - Real Business

Mansfield News Journal Published 5:13 a.m. ET Feb. 23, 2020

WMAN used to be my favorite radio station of choice. However, no more. Why, you may ask?

As a local radio station, I feel they have an obligation to the citizens of this community to announce on their station the school, church and work closings and delays due to inclement weather and the like, as a safety factor. Instead, we are told on the radio to check their website for information regarding these closings. Well, guess what? Not everyone has access to the website, myself included.

When I called the radio station recently regarding this, I was told, "Sorry, it's company policy." Really?

Are the program sponsors aware of this and do they, likewise, concur with this policy?

Since getting rid of the good announcers like Greg Hindel, Tommy Barnes and Rusty Cates who knew how to interact with their radio audience, discussing issues of local interest andinterviewing guests regarding current and political events it seems the quality of programming has done downhill.

Incidentally, TV Station WMFD, Channel 15 does carry closings, delays, etc., on their channel, but then, not everyone watches TV either.

Betty Schartl, Mansfield

Become a Republican. Why? Because you can say or do whatever you want and they will protect you.

Example: You can be a bully. Intimidate people such as mocking or making fun of challenged people. You can lie andnot pay or declare your income tax. You don't have to respect or honor the U.S. Constitution.

Don't worry, if you have to go to trial, they will block the witness so, don't worry, there won't be any evidence to convict you.

More: Police: Clevenger's estranged husband admits he stabbed her to death

More: Kuehnle placed on paid leave, contract not renewed

More: Mansfield hair salon and day spa damaged in fire

If there is a whistleblower, no problem. They will make them out to be the bad person.

How about this for a campaign slogan: Make America Nice Again or Make America Honest Again.

That's all I have to say about that.

Paul Williams, Ontario

I would like to thank Rudy Knapp, retired trustee, for appointing me chief zoning inspector. Since 1986 it has been a pleasure to serve the citizens of Washington Township. I have always used the Golden Rule to operate the zoning office.

It has been an honor to work with the zoning board and zoning board of appeals. My most memorable experience was to guide the ad hoc committee and zoning boards in a complete revision of the zoning resolution in 1997.

On Jan. 31, I retired asthe longest serving chief zoning inspector, with a total of 54 years in public service.

John K. Hurlow, Mansfield

Read or Share this story: https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/opinion/readers/2020/02/23/letters-editor-mansfield-republican-democrat-wman-retirement/4808711002/

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Letters to the editor: Mansfielder disappointed with radio station's policy - Mansfield News Journal

A major sports league is in crisis mode after a powerhouse club earns unprecedented sanctions for flagrant and repeated rule violations. Unfortunately, thats not a specific enough headline for the events of the past six weeks.

In addition to the much-discussed fallout from the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, championship contenders in not one but two European sports have suffered controversy and heavy punishment for recently acting like the rules dont apply.

The most notable is Manchester Citys two-year ban from European competition, handed down last week by UEFA, the European soccer governing body that sanctions the prestigious Champions League. (The sentence is still subject to appeal.) In the interest of at least appearing to foster level competition, UEFA institutes whats known as Financial Fair Play, a system of rules that require clubs soccer-related expendituresplayer wages, transfer fees, and so onto remain in line with their soccer-related revenues. This structure is meant to protect teams from outspending their means and leaving themselves in financial peril after a run of poor results, and also to prevent outside investors from pumping cash into a mid-table team and turning it into a worldwide powerhouse overnight.

Unfortunately for UEFA, outside investment is tied inextricably into Manchester Citys identity. In 2008, Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and a multibillionaire, bought what was at the time an unremarkable mid-table club. In the 12 years since, backed by the financial power of the Emirati government, City has become one of the richest and most successful teams not just in English soccer, but in any sport in the world.

It was this case, along with Russian plutocrat Roman Abramovichs takeover of Chelsea in the early 2000s and the Qatari royal familys investment in Paris Saint-Germain, that drove home the need for FFP in the first place. Since then, Mansours club has fallen afoul of regulators repeatedly, incurring transfer restrictions and tens of millions of pounds in fines as far back as 2014. But it wasnt until this month that UEFA truly came down on City, which was charged with not only violating FFP rules but disguising personal cash infusions from Sheikh Mansour as sponsorship money in order to deceive UEFA.

About 200 miles southeast, a giant in Englands other major ball-kicking sport has created an even bigger mess. Saracens are the most successful club in English rugby union, having won four of the past five Premiership titles and boasting a roster full of star players, including almost half of Englands starting lineup from last years World Cup final.

Like Manchester City, Saracens came by this championship squad through shady accounting. In November, Saracens were docked 35 points and fined 5.3 million for violating the Premierships 7 million salary cap over the previous three seasons. In late January, the club accepted relegation to the sports second division for the 2020-21 season, after acknowledging that they could not comply with the salary cap this season either.

Those numbers are risibly small in comparison to an MLB teams payroll, let alone the billions of dollars that get tossed around in world soccer. (There are relief pitchers who could fund an entire Premiership rugby team.) While a major soccer team like Man City is a global entertainment brand, rugby is less popular and substantially less globalized. Moreover, rugby union became professionalized only in 1995; up until that point it had been an amateur competition in order to restrict the game to gentleman hobbyists. Athletes from lower socioeconomic classes were shuttled off to other football codesrugby league and soccerif they wanted to make a living.

Before rugby union went professional, the sport was riddled with the kind of under-the-table payments and impermissible benefits that are part and parcel of high-level college sports in the United States today. And 7 million split among a squad of a few dozen senior players isnt enough to keep those payments from coming. Former club director Nigel Wray managed to funnel about 2 million to various players over the course of three seasons through a variety of joint business and real estate investments and no-show marketing side gigs.

Every league with a hard or soft salary cap carries penalties for spending too much on players, like an NBA team paying the luxury tax or an MLB team that moves back in the draft for running a salary over the competitive balance tax limit. But Saracensand Manchester City, for that matterviolated black-letter law, rather than incurring established penalties for behavior thats disincentivized but not strictly illegal. Thats why these infractions rise to the level of scandal and inspired such severe punishments.

Now, as far as cheating schemes go, its not particularly odious to find creative ways to shuttle money to the players who provide the sole value of a sports business enterprisein fact, theres a perverse nobility to what Saracens is being punished for doing. But like the Astros and Manchester City, its such a flagrant and persistent violation of the rules that the leagues involved could no longer look the other way.

These three scandals are linked not by the method of rule-breakingthe Astros transgressions were technological, Man Citys and Saracens financialbut by their persistence. As pissed off as the baseball world is at the Astros, and as unprepared as the commissioners office seemed to be to actually hand down punishment, the use of technology to steal signs has been something of an open secret within the game for years. MLB commissioner Rob Manfreds report already noted that a warning was issued about increased punishment for sign-stealing violations as far back as September 2017. In essence, the league issued a directive to the Astros to knock it off before things got ugly.

But they didnt knock it off, so when the rumors were confirmed and reported publicly by The Athletic in November, Manfred threw the bookor at least what passed for the book at the timeat the biggest offender. Saracens violated the salary cap for years. Manchester City built an entire club around the concept of financial might making right, and even after UEFA levied fines and lesser sanctions their behavior changed not one bit.

These clubs are being punished not just because they broke the rules, but because, like the famous local news stabbing victim, they dared their respective sanctioning bodies to punish them. As a rule, sports governing organizations are venal and corrupt even by the standards of small cartels of rich people. They exist to enrich themselves and the clubs they represent. Its bad for business if MLB or the PRL makes an avoidable stink about a recent World Series champion breaking the rules; its bad for business if UEFA takes Sergio Agero and Kevin de Bruyne off the air for two seasons. These governing bodies have every incentive to either tolerate wrongdoing or punish it as quietly as public scrutiny will accept.

But theres a limit to the level of brazen greed and shameless rule-breaking that even an organization like MLB or UEFA can stomach before something has to be done. A friend of mine who works in corporate tax law once told me an aphorism from his profession that fits this story: Pigs get fat, but hogs get slaughtered.

Having three high-profile cases in such rapid succession, across national and sporting boundaries, makes it look like this is some kind of high-water mark for brazen rule-breaking, but this is not a novel concept. How many times have the New England Patriots been caught sticking a video camera or an air compressor in the wrong place at the wrong time, only to receive a slap on the wrist? It wasnt too long ago that the Seattle Seahawks built an entire defensive system around the idea that theres a limit to the number of penalties referees are willing to call, and that limit does not change with the number of penalties a team actually commits.

If there was ever a time when the spirit of a law dictated behavior, that time has gone. Now its no longer about the letter of the law, but about what a given actor believes the authorities are willing to enforce. And within this specific amoral framework, crime pays. What do the Astros, Man City, and Saracens have in common, apart from suffering penalties severe enough to merit six-column headline type? Theyve won, constantly and inexorably, and flags fly forever. So, too, for the Seahawks and Patriots.

So, too, to the peril of society at large, have disruptive commercial and industrial institutions similarly benefited by greed and regulatory capture. Its now a billion-dollar business to find creative ways aroundor uncreative ways throughrules designed to ensure public safety, or to protect workers and consumers. The proof is in Uber, and Amazon, and investment banking.

Athletes cheat, and have cheated since time immemorial, because they want to win. Businesspeoplethe kind of folks who now run organizations like the Astros, Manchester City, and Saracenscheat because they can. Avoiding the rules, or avoiding punishment for breaking them, has the same effect as following the rules, and absent the values of fairness and justice that inspire such rules in the first place, the ethical consequences are the same as well.

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The Astros and the Golden Age of Brazen Cheating in Sports - The Ringer

Taking the Helm: by Capt. Paul Ferdais

I recently had a meeting with Susan, a woman whos moved into the chief stew position for a 100m vessel with lots of crew under her. Since shes never had a position of this scale before, she wanted to know how to be a leader who has empathy and understanding for her people, but also enough toughness to put the boat first. She said her basic struggle is finding a balance between being humane and being the leader the boat needs.

Theres no question this is a challenge because there is no one, perfect way to create this kind of balance. A lot of being successful in this type of situation comes down to personality, as well as how much people respect or dont respect you.

One way to approach the challenge is to sit down with your team members one at a time and lay out your expectations of their performance when they do their job. Discuss with them at the beginning what they need to demonstrate during a set period of time say a month, or three months to go from where they are today to where they will meet all expectations. At this point, clearly outline the consequences of not achieving the expectations.

If its a new hire, this may be the first three-month trial period in the role, or something similar. As you go through the meeting, make sure you write down whats been agreed upon so everyone knows what theyre responsible for.

Meet again at the end of the set time to go over what was agreed to. Theyll either have made good on their side of the arrangement or not. The balance here is that crew cant blame you if they have not done what they said theyd do. This is one way to be tough and humane in the role.

Ive found the biggest impediment to getting people to do great work is being in their face too much. When we over-manage our team, we dont let them find their own ways to tackle a problem and perhaps find solutions we never thought of.

The point of meeting individually with team members is to set up goals and say go make it happen, then stand back and let them do their thing. Well quickly find out what theyre good at and not good at. Generally speaking, people will find their own ways to get things done if theyre allowed to do it their way.

In management discussions, we dont hear much about the word empathy among all the other, more common buzzwords that are thrown around: leadership, authenticity, grit, motivation, etc. Real empathy is impossible to fake. People know when were not genuine.

Perhaps the easiest way to demonstrate empathy is to show you actually care about what the other person is going through. This comes across when co-workers know weve walked a day in their shoes, having done the job theyve done.

As mentioned earlier, respect is a big determinant of success with our people. The reality of respect is that its earned, not commanded. Even though Susan has the title and responsibility for her department, shell have to behave in ways that develop respect from team members.

While there are many ways to grow and develop respect, a big part of being a leader is working with people we may not necessarily like. Rise above any negative feelings as much as possible and remember the golden rule: If you have nothing good to say, dont say anything at all. Because if you speak ill of someone you dont like, itll get around to them.

Leadership is a way of being. Its about behavior and how we interact with the people around us. We earn respect through actions, not by being the smartest person or flipping on a switch to turn on a technique or style in the moment which we then turn off. When we lead our team, no matter the department or the boat as a whole, how we are as a person determines if others follow.

Capt. Paul Ferdais, skipper of a motor yacht, has a masters degree in leadership and previously ran a leadership training company for yacht crew. Comments are welcome below.

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Taking the Helm: Balance high expectations with empathy, respect - The Triton

A warm day in winter used to be a rare and uplifting relief.

Now such days are routine reminders of climate change all the more foreboding when they coincide with news stories about unprecedented wildfires, record-breaking rain bombs, or the accelerated melting of polar ice sheets.

Where, then, can one turn for hope in these dark months of the year?

Yale Climate Connections turned to a surprisingly long list of new and recent titles that explore how we can effectively respond to climate change while enhancing our health and happiness. Some of these books call for better measures of economic vitality and social progress. Others call for re-interpretations of religious creeds. Many start by acknowledging our bitter, partisan politics. But all end on a note of hope and how to better sustain it.

As always the descriptions are adapted from copy provided by the publishers. When two dates of publication are listed, the second refers to the release of the paperback edition of the title.

Happier People, Healthier Planet: How Putting Well-Being First Would Help Sustain Life on Earth, by Teresa Belton (Silverwood Books 2014, 369 pages, $23.49 paperback)

Happier People, Healthier Planet addresses the diametrically opposed issues of personal wellbeing and ecological destruction as inseparable concerns. It shows how attending to what really matters for personal thriving will also protect the environment. Most human beings are strongly attracted to material possessions, novelty, and ever greater comfort and convenience. Yet paradoxically, for those with a decent basic standard of living, growing affluence has not resulted in increased subjective wellbeing: overconsumption does not make us happy. It is perfectly possible to live a rewarding life without consuming more than we need, and we must all find out how to do so if we are to preserve the hospitality of the Earth. This book investigates the factors that are likely to encourage a positive preference for sustainable lifestyles.

Finntopia: What We Can Learn from the Worlds Happiest Country, by Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen (Columbia University Press, July 2020, 192 pages, $25.00 paperback)

In 2018, the World Happiness Report ranked Finland the worlds happiest country. The Nordic Model has long been touted as the aspiration for social and public policy in Europe and North America, but what is it about Finland that makes the country so successful and seemingly such a great place to live? Finland clearly has problems of its own for example, a high level of gun ownership and rising rates of suicide which can make Finns skeptical of their ranking, but its consistently high performance across a range of well-being indicators does raise fascinating questions. In the quest for the best of all possible societies, Danny Dorling and Annika Koljonen explore what we might learn from Finnish success and what they might usefully learn from us.

The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here, by Hope Jahren (Penguin/Random, March 2020, 224 pages, $14.99)

Hope Jahren is an award-winning scientist, a brilliant writer, a passionate teacher, and one of the seven billion people with whom we share this earth. In The Story of More, she illuminates the link between human habits and our imperiled planet. She takes us through the science behind the key inventions from electric power to large-scale farming that, even as they help us, release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere like never before. She explains the current and projected consequences of global warming from superstorms to rising sea levels and the actions that we all can take to fight back. Both a primer on the mechanisms of global change and a personal narrative given to us in Jahrens inimitable voice, The Story of More is the essential pocket primer on climate change that will leave an indelible impact on everyone who reads it.

Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses and Citizens Can Save the Planet, by Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope (St. Martins Press 2017, 272 pages, $26.99)

The 2016 election left many people who are concerned about the environment fearful that progress on climate change would come screeching to a halt. But not Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope. In Climate of Hope, Bloomberg, an entrepreneur and former mayor of New York City, and Pope, a lifelong environmental leader offer an optimistic look at the challenge of climate change, the solutions they believe hold the greatest promise, and the practical steps that are necessary to achieve them. Sharing their own stories from government, business, and advocacy, Bloomberg and Pope provide a road map for tackling the most complicated challenge the world has ever faced. Along the way, they turn the usual way of thinking about climate change on its head: from top down to bottom up, from costs to benefits, and from fear to hope.

See also: Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to Climate Change, by Tim Flannery (Harper Collins 2015/2016, 272 pages, $16.00 paperback) and Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, by Bill McKibben (Henry Holt & Co. 2019, 304 pages $28.00).

Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future, by Mary Robinson (Bloomsbury 2018, 176 pages, $26.00)

Holding her first grandchild in her arms in 2003, Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and the UNs Special Envoy on Climate Change, was struck by the uncertainty of the world he had been born into. The faceless, shadowy menace of climate change had become, in an instant, deeply personal. Mary Robinsons new mission would lead her all over the world and to a heartening revelation: that an irrepressible driving force in the battle for climate justice could be found at the grassroots level, mainly among women, many of them mothers and grandmothers like herself. Powerful and deeply humane, Climate Justice is a stirring manifesto on one of the most pressing issues of our time, and a lucid, affirmative, and well-argued case for hope.

The Archipelago of Hope: Wisdom and Resilience from the Edge of Climate Change, by Gleb Raygorodetsky (Pegasus Books 2017/2018, 336 pages, $17.95 paperback)

Climate change is already here. Nobody knows this better than Indigenous peoples who, having developed an intimate relationship with ecosystems over generations, have observed these changes for decades. Gleb Raygorodetsky shows how these communities are actually islands of biological and cultural diversity in the ever-rising sea of development and urbanization. They are an archipelago of hope as we enter the Anthropocene, for here lies humankinds best chance to remember our roots and how to take care of the Earth. These communities are implementing creative solutions to meet these modern challenges. Raygorodetskys prose resonates with their positive, adaptive, and spiritual hope.

The Climate Swerve: Reflections on Mind, Hope, and Survival, by Robert Jay Lifton (The New Press 2017, 192 pages, $22.95)

Over his long career, National Book Award-winning psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton has grappled with the profound effects of nuclear war, terrorism, and genocide. Now he shifts to climate change, which, Lifton writes, presents us with what may be the most demanding and unique psychological task ever required of humankind. Yet a large swathe of humanity has numbed themselves to this reality. In this lucid and moving book that recalls the works of Rachel Carson and Jonathan Schell, Lifton explains how we might call upon the human mind our greatest evolutionary asset to translate a growing species awareness, or climate swerve, into action to sustain our selves, our plant and our civilization.

The Hard Work of Hope: Climate Change in the Age of Trump, by Robert William Sandford and Jon ORiordan (Rocky Mountain Books 2017, 168 pages, $16.00)

Building on events that have transpired since the Paris climate conference in December 2015, The Hard Work of Hope, Rocky Mountain Books latest manifesto, emphasizes three themes: the growing urgency for global action regarding climate change; the fact that future development must not just avoid causing damage but strive to be ecologically and socially restorative; and the reality that effective solutions require changes to technology, restoration of biodiversity and increased public awareness. Though contemporary politics and the state of the environment seem grim in this post-truth world, there will always be hope. But that hope will require hard work by everyone if our planet is to remain a desirable place to live in a warming world.

Where Is the Hope? An Anthology of Short Climate Change Plays, edited by Chantal Bilodeau (Climate Change Theatre Action 2018, pages, $35.00 paperback)

Where is the Hope? An Anthology of Short Climate Change Plays is a collection of 50 short plays by writers from all over the world, commissioned for Climate Change Theatre Action 2017. A creative response to the question How can we inspire people and turn the challenges of climate change into opportunities? the plays offer a diversity of perspectives and artistic approaches in telling stories that may point to a just and sustainable future.

We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast, by Jonathan Safran Foer (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2019, 288 pages, $25.00)

Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming because of human activity. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change truly believe it? In We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer [explains that] the task of saving the planet will involve a great reckoning with ourselves a reckoning Foer illustrates by relating his Jewish grandmothers experience of the Holocaust, taking great personal risks to flee Poland before it was too late to do so. Now we have turned our planet into a farm for growing animal products, and the consequences are similarly catastrophic. Only collective action will save our home and way of life. And it all starts with what we eat and dont eat for breakfast.

Caring for Creation: Inspiring Words from Pope Francis, edited by Alice Stamwitz (Franciscan Media 2016, 192 pages, $22.99)

Since his inaugural Mass in March 2013, Pope Francis has frequently reminded a global audience that care for creation is among his highest priorities. The writings, homilies, prayers, talks, and even tweets of Pope Francis in this book gather his most important and inspiring words about our shared responsibility to protect, nurture, and care for our common home. The planet is in peril, the pope is telling us, along with the well being of the poor who depend on the earths natural resources. Still, his message is always ultimately one of hope. In Caring for Creation, Pope Franciss words reveal that he believes we can move towards a new kind of conversion a higher level of consciousness, action, and advocacy that will spark a bold cultural revolution.

See also: Encyclical on Climate Change and Inequality: On Care for Our Common Home, by Pope Francis, with an Introduction by Naomi Oreskes (Melville House 2015, 192 pages, $20.00 paperback)

Climate Church, Climate World: How People of Faith Must Work for Change, by Jim Antal (Rowman & Littlefield 2018, 242 pages, $25.00)

Climate Church, Climate World argues that climate change is the greatest moral challenge humanity has ever faced. Hunger, refugees, poverty, inequality, deadly viruses, war climate change multiplies all forms of global social injustice. Environmental leader Reverend Jim Antal presents a compelling case that its time for the church to meet this moral challenge, just as the church addressed previous moral challenges. After describing how we have created the dangers our planet now faces, Antal urges the church to embrace a new vocation, one focused on collective salvation and an expanded understanding of the Golden Rule (Golden Rule 2.0). He suggests ways people of faith can reorient what they prize through new approaches to worship, preaching, witnessing and other spiritual practices that honor creation and cultivate hope.

In a similar vein, see also the following religious titles:

Down to Earth: Christian Hope and Climate Change, by Richard A. Floyd (Wipf and Stock 2015, 144 pages, $17.00 paperback)

Eco-Reformation: Grace and Hope for a Planet in Peril, edited by Lisa E. Dahill and Jim B. Martin-Schramm (Cascade Books 2016, 306 pages, $36.00 paperback)

Hope in the Age of Climate Change: Creation Care this Side of the Resurrection, by Chris Doran (Cascade Books 2017, 258 pages, $31.00)

Love in a Time of Climate Change: Honoring Creation, Establishing Justice, by Sharon Delgado (Fortress Press 2017, 226 pages, $29.00 paperback)

The Spirit of Hope: Theology for a World in Peril, by Jurgen Moltman (Westminster/John Knox Press 2019, 232 pages, $30.00 paperback)

See the article here:

New and recent books about hope in a time of climate change - Yale Climate Connections

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is a global tech behemoth largely driven by the growth of its eCommerce business. They have long boasted about their rock-solid customer support being one of the most important cornerstones of their booming business all over the world. However, a recent incident Dazeinfo has come across, paints quite a different picture of the ground reality.

A recent dispute between a frequent customer of Amazon and the company itself has brought to light some shady and not very ethical practices by the company when it comes to their customer support and delivery agents.

Deepanker who claims that he does most of his online shopping from Amazon itself and has also subscribed to their Prime benefits, along with the Amazon Pay ICICI card believed that he was a loyal Amazon customer.

He placed an order for an Echo Dot 3rd Generation which was bound to reach his location by February 10th according to the estimates of Amazons Prime membership delivery. On the morning of 10th February, Deepanker received a message which stated that the product was out for delivery with an OTP included for receiving the product from the delivery personnel.

And that was the beginning of ordeal Deepankar was supposed to go through. But on a larger picture, this also exposed the unethical business practice that could easily create chaos among the shoppers owing to rising online frauds and sceptical nature of online shoppers in India.

The No. 1 thing that has made us successful by far is the obsessive compulsion over the customer as opposed to obsession over the competitor, Jeff Bezos the Cheif Executive Officer of Amazon reportedly said that on 13th September 2019, at the Economic Club of Washington.

Now, unfortunately for Deepanker, he wasnt home on the 10th to receive the order. However, he was taken aback by shock when a notification from Amazons app showed that the product has been successfully delivered. By his own claim, he found it a bit odd as there was no one else at home to have received the order. Therefore, he went ahead and called his neighbours who said they havent received any package on his behalf as well. More importantly, no one beside him had access to the transactional OTP he received via the SMS to complete the delivery.

Deepanker proceeded to contact Amazons customer support via email regarding this matter wherein he received quite a shocking message from their side.

The response he received via email from Amazons customer support executive Dazeinfo has obtained a copy as well clearly mentions that sometimes the courier agent erroneously updates the tracking as Delivered, while the package might actually be still on its way. Hence we suggest that you wait until 12 February 2020 as we expect the package to be delivered by then.

This is quite a shocking revelation about the ground reality of the quality of customer support that Amazon has been exercising. The customer support executive who was well aware of the fact that the delivery partners are falsely and intentionally updating the delivery status which, in turn, could create a panic among the Amazons customers found nothing wrong in employing such practices.

The fact that he went on supporting delivery partner in spite of being aware of the consequences is quite appalling.

After this particular revelation, Deepanker kept on pursuing this matter by exchanging several emails but soon reached a dead end on February 19th wherein he was told they (Amazon) have found that his package was in fact delivered intact after their logistics experts have conducted a multi-layered investigation and therefore, they will not be proceeding with a refund or a concession.

Amazon person ensured that sometimes delivery guys do this and suggested me to wait. I had faith in Amazons services. But the real surprise was their investigation that blamed me only, Deepankar informed to Dazeinfo.

The whole incident points to an even more serious concern Unethical Delivery Practices that is affecting hundreds of thousands of Amazon customers in India.

Deepankar is not the only one who went into the panic mode after receiving the delivery notification followed by the email from Amazon customer support team supporting the delivery partner. There could be hundreds of thousands of customers of Amazon who go through a similar kind of ordeal every day.

Nishant Misra, who happens to be another regular customer of Amazon India, also shared similar kind of experience he had to go through a few weeks back.

He, however, insisted to change the Delivery Status until the product is delivered.

Well, such incidents are a clear testament to the fact that Jeff Bezos might not completely be aware of the kind of customer support that his e-commerce giant is practising in its entirety.

This particular incident raises a lot of serious questions regarding Amazons internal operations, particularly those involving their customer support agents and delivery partners.

These are grave questions that need to be answered by Amazon right away.

Amazon has pumped in US$600 million (Rs 4,400 Cr) to strengthen its presence in India. While it was not very clear how exactly the funds would be utilised but such exposure puts Amazon under humiliating, rather tough, situation to deal with.

It is a no-brainer that the reputation of any and every company is built by the positive feedback of its consumers and thats why phrases such as Customer is King and The Customer Is Always Right were coined.

Amazon as a company doesnt enjoy an exception to this golden rule. Therefore, we expect Amazon to respond back with a reasonable explanation to such huge gaps in their customer support as well as address the security loopholes related to their logistics partners.

Hopefully, Amazon will take notice of these ground realities and fix them as soon as its possible.

See original here:

Is Amazon Hand In Glove With Fraudulent Delivery Partners in India? - Dazeinfo

Everyone has their worst/favourite episode of Dont Tell The Bride the show that has salved many a hangover. For our money, the guy who took the wedding to Las Vegas and couldnt afford to take the brides brother takes some beating but we'll reserve judgement until tonight.

Because E4 (who adopted the show after it left BBC Three) have staked their claim big on tonights episode, which they say is so good (read: bad) that theyve extended it by half an hour into a 90-minute show.

With its combination of cringeing (so hard you sometimes have to watch from behind a pillow), romance (yes, there is some; we've cried before) and - mainly - the hilarity of men making inevitably worse and worse decisions in front of your very eyes, the show has become a stable of UK televisual life in the THIRTEEN YEARS it's been on air.

Tonights show features Andy and Anna. She, of course, has her heart set on a quintessential white wedding in an English country manor. Andy, on the other hand, wants to honour his fiances Ukrainian heritage and sets to work on planning an authentic wedding... in Ukraine. (Plus, he thinks it will earn him some brownie points with his soon-to-be mother-in-law.)

Of COURSE he does.

Except he doesnt speak a work of Ukranian. Of COURSE he doesn't.

As is the eternal way of Dont Tell The Bride, Andy spends a fortune on his stag do, sends Anna and her hens to the local snooker hall with 100 and then doesnt have enough budget for the majority of their friends and family to fly to the wedding.

Andy and Anna's bridesmaid dresses E4

No friends and family is one thing a terrible, terrible thing. But we think - big claim - these might be some of the worst bridesmaid and wedding dresses ever.

For one things, the bridesmaids have to try theirs on in an airport toilet by what looks like the luggage carousel.

The wedding dress he chooses costs a whopping 150 (the average cost is apparently 1,385). But while were all for grabbing a high street or ASOS wedding dress, this isnt that. The beading, for instance, comes away in the bride's hands.

Andy and Anna's wedding dress E4

We think Anna and her mum might agree with us (we're just going to say, give Anna's mum her own TV show pronto... )

Don't Tell The Bride wedding dress E4

Dont Tell The Bride has been on our screens since 2007. There was national outcry about losing the show when BBC Three was taken off the air in 2014 to go online, so it was picked up by BBC One and then Sky One before finding a home on E4 in 2017.

And as ever - no matter how many times we tune in, or how many times we think things like, 'Surely she's not going to like this underwater/parade of pigs/Kylie and Jason/inflatable assault course themed wedding?' - we will tune in tonight asking the all-important question: will they actually make it down the aisle?

Don't forget, though, that only one wedding has ever been called off - Yanis and Shanise from Birmingham's wedding was halted by producers, when they broke the golden rule of the show (the one, real, actual rule) and secretly communicated with each other.

Yes - as far as we can tell, not only did the Vegas wedding go ahead, but they are still together...

The extended Dont Tell The Bride: Andy and Anna is on tonight (Monday 24 Feb) at 7.30pm on E4.

READ MORE: Till Death Do Us... Divorce? What's It Really Like To Be On Don't Tell The Bride

READ MORE: What Do You Do If You Hate Your Bridesmaid's Dress?

Slide 2 of 33

Queen Bey acted for bestie Kelly Rowland when she married Tim Witherspoon in early May 2014.

Jessica became a bridesmaid for the second time this week when she slipped into this beautiful royal blue gown for her publicist Lauren Auslander's wedding in Rhode Island.

Keira caused a media storm when she was pictured at her brother's wedding as a bridesmaid. The lovely bride doesn't seem too put out that all the attention's on the Hollywood A-lister standing next to her.

This amazing image sees Lady Gaga looking quite normal - no Kermit dress, no meat slippers (as far as we can tell) - and doesn't she just look lovely?

The Saturdays' singer joined her siblings to celebrate her sister's big day. Her dress and hair is utter perfection, no?

Here's Prince Harry's ex at one of them posh society weddings. She looks nice.

Claudia 'Human Fringe' Winkleman was the maid of honour at best friend Victoria Coran's wedding to David Mitchell.

Back before she was all over our TV screens being all "Get the London look" and pouting, the daughter of Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger was asked to be a bridesmaid at Leah Wood's wedding. She was joined by nine other bridesmaids and flower girls, along with celebrities like Kate Moss and, er, Cilla Black.

Here's Georgia with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Alice Dellal at Leah Wood's wedding.

Jessica and husband Cash Warren formed a married-couple partnership with her as the bridesmaid and him as the best man at a close friend's wedding.

At sister Khloe's wedding to Lamar Odom, the whole Kardashian klan were out in full force. Kourtney wore a deep purple...

...Kim was in a dark lilac shade...

...While Kendall wore pastel purple.

While we probably wouldn't pick brown as one of our wedding themes (we haven't really decided which colours yet, get back to us in a few years, yeah?), it does suit Jessica. Justin Timberlake looks pretty dapper, too.

What's with the black? We do love those cut-out shoulders though.

TV presenter Miquita didn't look too happy to be chief bridesmaid at Lily Allen's wedding to Sam Cooper. Let's hope she cheered up a bit inside.

Arguably the highlight of the 2011 Royal Wedding was Pippa Middleton arriving in that carriage, then getting out. A million men uttered involuntary gasps. A million women immediately got online to buy Fit-Flops in the hopes of attaining such a perfect arse.

And there's the back of that dress in all its glory. Majestic.

Anyone remember 'media personality' Rebecca Loos? Nope? No-one? Let's move on.

Ooh, look at Ms Brook. We like her and the bride's co-ordinating one-shoulder deets, although not sure black is the best choice for a summer wedding...

Another black bridesmaid dress? This time it's former Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost wearing it to perfection.

Yes, we had to double and triple-check this picture too, but it really is Sharon Osbourne acting as maid of honour at Carmen Electra's wedding in 2003.

Ahahhahahahahaha. Hahahhahahaha. Ahahahahhahahahaha. Haaaaaa.

Tee hee, it's nine-year-old Posh and she's actually smiling (front row middle). Adorbs.

Before the Royal Wedding, there was a Royal at a wedding. A young Zara looks very sweet in this bridal gown.

Incredible: vivid metallic lilac gowns, massive golf umbrella to shield the bridal party from the paps. Love it.

Queen Bey acted for bestie Kelly Rowland when she married Tim Witherspoon in early May 2014.

Read more:

Is Andy The Worst Groom On Dont Tell The Bride Ever? Yes... Yes We Think So - Grazia

Editors NoteShadowproof editor Kevin Gosztola is in London for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges week-long extradition hearing.

Stay tuned to Shadowproof, as well as his Twitter, for coverage. And if you support our work and are able to help fund Kevins reporting, go here to donate.

John Kiriakou is a former CIA officer and whistleblower, who has been an advocate for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

On the weekly podcast I co-host, Unauthorized Disclosure, I asked him about Assanges one-week extradition hearing and what he expected. He discussed how he may overcome extradition from the United Kingdom but face extradition from Australia after he is deported from the U.K.

We also discussed what he described as the willful ignorance of United States media when it comes to acknowledging how journalists were targeted by an espionage operation conducted against Assange on behalf of the CIA.

Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.

GOSZTOLA: Let me ask you about Julian Assange. Youve been doing some advocacy. Youve supported Julian, and specifically, the latest development we know is that were learning more information about what is going on with the Spanish security company that engaged in espionage against Julian while he was in the Ecuador embassy. Weve got the first actual admission in the Spanish high court from David Morales, who is the owner that was involved in carrying out the espionage, planting these microphones, saying that he did it.

We know he made trips to Alexandria, in the D.C. area, where this grand jury is located. So were going to have this extradition hearing coming up. Im interested in your thoughts about what this first hearing is going to be in February, and Im going to actually be there to report. It will focus on Ecuadors right-wing government and their attacks on him while he was in the embassy, but then its also going to focus on how these Espionage Act charges are political offenses not recognized around the world.

KIRIAKOU: Yes, this first round in February is short, but its very, very important for the reasons that youve cited. Were going to be able to hear for the very first time what exactly this company, and by extension the CIA and the FBI, were doing to entrap Julian. We really dont know what the story is other than what weve read in outlets like El Pais and frankly at Shadowproof, two outlets that have covered this.

The real hearing, the meat of the hearing, is going to be later on in the spring, and could stretch all the way into the first week of July. Thats the extradition hearing, the extradition request. [Note: As of now, the extradition hearing is scheduled from end of May to mid-June.]

Now, there is a precedent. There are a few precedents actually for U.K. courts denying U.S. requests for extradition based on the United Nations determination that the way the U.S. uses solitary confinement is a form of torture. There are two cases where two different menone was a terrorism suspect, one was a drug smugglerthey were subject to extradition hearings, and the judges ruled they would likely be placed in solitary confinement. The United Nations says the U.S. practice is a form of torture, and because of European Union law at the time and British law opposing torture, that the extraditions could not go forward.

So Julians attorneys think that they have a real shot at this. Hes already been placed in solitary confinement in the U.K., and we saw what happened to his mental state. Whats going to happen if they put him solitary confinement in the U.S., and you know they will because hes such a high-profile prisoner. And thats what they do to high-profile prisoners. So I actually think that he has a shot.

Now, with that said, what happens if hes not extradited to the United States? Hell be expelled from the U.K. because hes already done his lousy, measly ten months on the bail jumping. So theyll expel him from the U.K. Hes an Australian national so hell likely be expelled to Australia. And whats to stop the United States from just asking the Australians to extradite him and we start this process all over?

So Im worried frankly. Im worried for the guy.

GOSZTOLA: Thats true. And theres one realist response, and I feel like throwing out not just as advocacy but for people who have low amounts of information. Ill say I believe that quite clearly if there was such a thing as a Bernie Sanders administration this would all end

KIRIAKOU: I agree.

GOSZTOLA: Because theres no reason to pursue Julian Assange policy-wise. Theres no way the Justice Department would want to open this can of worms. Even if Bernie Sanders is not going to say a kind word about Julian Assange, it doesnt matter. Hes not going to want to pursue extradition of this dissident journalist.

But the other thing I want to have you close on isWe spoke about this a while ago. I was blown over by the espionage operation that was conducted against journalists and people who visited Assange at the Ecuador embassy. And I think that what were missing in all of this is any sense among our media or our press that this is actually an attack on journalism.

KIRIAKOU: Oh yeah.

GOSZTOLA: If they are self-aware, its really hard for me to tell. There is a great clip of Jim Acosta at CNN being asked about the Julian Assange case. Its hard for us to tell. This is the guy, right, that is constantly complaining about the Trump administration revoking his press pass. Or not letting him into the White House. Or harassing him or being mean to him while he tries to ask a question of Donald Trump, even though hes trying to put on a show for CNN while interrupting him while hes speaking.

I cant tell if theyre not aware or if they just dont care. Its hard to tell if theyre just inept and arent making connections, or if they really in truly believe this case is never going to impact them. Im wondering what youre viewpoint is, but quite clearly when you look at what happened around the embassy, this was a targeted operation against journalists that wanted to cover Julian Assange.

KIRIAKOU: Oh yeah. Its willful ignorance really.

I agree. This was a well thought-out operation. It was an operation against Julian Assange, but really it was an operation against these journalists, too. Which is funny to me because when I was at the CIA, we had this golden rule that came out of the bad-old days of the 1970s, and that was that you leave journalists alone. Right? The CIA got burned in the Church Committee hearings and the Pike Committee hearings in the 1970s because of the way they used and exploited journalists. And you cant do that anymore.

Well, either policy has changed, which I think is likely. Or the policy was changed for Julian Assange. Somebody was able to argue successfully that this wasnt a targeting of a journalist. It was a target of Assange by using journalists. Either way, its just rotten. And its something that nobody, literally nobody, on the Senate or House intelligence committees has even raised, let alone addressed.

Excerpt from:

John Kiriakou On Week-Long Assange Hearing: World Will Hear For First Time About Espionage Operation Against Him - Shadowproof