text:
Mobiles Features
Nokia Chairman Reopens Old Wounds With New Book
By Reuters | Updated: 12 October 2018 17:43 IST
Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa (c)
Nokia's chairman has pointed the finger at his predecessor over the mobile phone maker's fall from grace in a book that has reopened old wounds in Finland, where the company remains a source of national pride.
Nokia was the world's largest mobile handset maker and Europe's highest valued company at its peak, accounting for about 4 percent of Finland's economic output.
But it failed to recognise the threat to its existence posed by the rise of touchscreen smartphones after Apple launched the iPhone in 2007. It has since sold off its handset business, with thousands of jobs lost along the way, and is now focused on telecoms networks and licensing its technology patents.
Nokia's decline was partly down to a lack of entrepreneurial leadership and the failure to face up to bad news, according to the book by Risto Siilasmaa, Nokia's chairman, who joined the company's board in 2008.
Named "Transforming Nokia: The power of paranoid optimism to lead through colossal change," the book has made headlines beyond the business world because of its attacks on former Nokia CEO and Chairman Jorma Ollila.
Siilasmaa said Ollila, one of Finland's best known business leaders who once considered running for president and is also a former chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, was quick-tempered and spread fear in the organisation, which curbed open discussion and led to a reluctance to share bad news.
Siilasmaa said he proposed Nokia look into choosing Google's Android platform for Nokia's smartphones over the company's own Symbian system in 2009, but a memo he had sent to Ollila was never discussed in the boardroom.
"Ruined legacy"
Siilasmaa said Ollila also sought to prevent his election as chairman in 2012, and yelled at him over phone when he briefed Ollila the following year about the plan to sell the handset business to Microsoft.
"Our conversation followed the usual pattern: I tried to be polite; he exploded and yelled that I had ruined his legacy," Siilasmaa wrote.
Ollila, now 68 and retired from frontline business, was Nokia chief executive in the phonemaker's heyday from 1992 to 2006, a year before the iPhone's launch, and then served as its chairman until 2012.
In Finland's Helsingin Sanomat daily he said that Siilasmaa, 52, was exaggerating with his accusations and had trouble understanding that running a large global company was different from managing a small company.
Siilasmaa is the founder of Finnish cybersecurity and privacy company F-Secure.
Under Siilasmaa's command, Nokia ended up selling the handset business to Microsoft in 2014.
Nokia then bought control of a joint venture with Germany's Siemens and followed up by acquiring Franco-American Alcatel-Lucent, making itself one of the world's biggest mobile network makers.
© Thomson Reuters 2018
Further reading: Jorma Ollila, Risto Siilasmaa, Nokia, Transforming Nokia
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17th December 2019 1 minute read
Recruitment International: Green Park the only recruiter to list on Fast Track 100 2019
The annual Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 is a league table that ranks Britain's private companies with the fastest growing sales. This year, Green Park is the only recruitment agency to rank within this league, achieving high sales of £90.1 million in the last financial year. Green Park ranked 70th place and was one of 18 new London based entrants.
Over three years, the annual sales growth of the company was 55% and during this time Green Park have placed leaders in over 55 countries. The Fast Track 100 features 29 other companies with headquarters in London. These companies employ 3,810 people and have an average sales growth of 76% a year, totalling £904.1m over these three years.
Co-founder and CEO of Green Park, Raj Tulsiani, commented, "As a passionate advocate of the power of diversity as a source of competitive advantage, Green Park has always placed the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business. Internally, we're a living example of the way an organisation that encourages diversity of thought in their workforce will outperform monocultures in turbulent international markets."
"We believe that the UK's productivity gap can be reduced through the inclusion and engagement of all employees, therefore we have built our proposition around helping organisations build, buy and understand talent in ways that drive increased inclusion, engagement and productivity. In 2018, we placed a diverse leader on a Board every 14 days and this year we placed a diverse leader on a board every 8 days. By 2025, I want to make that a diverse person on a board every single day."
The above is a summary of an article published in Recruitment International on 4/12/19. For the full, Recruitment International article, please click here.
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學院別 > 成功大學 > 管理學院 > 國際經營管理研究所碩士在職專班
論文名稱(中文) The Effects of Organizational Responsiveness on the Internationalization Process: The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation
論文名稱(英文) The Effects of Organizational Responsiveness on the Internationalization Process: The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation
系所名稱(中) 國際經營管理研究所碩士在職專班
系所名稱(英) Institute of International Management (IIMBA--Master)(on the job class)
研究生(中文) 邱佳龍
研究生(英文) Chia-Lung Chiu
學號 ra795113
口試委員 召集委員-陳正忠
口試委員-張紹基
指導教授-吳萬益
中文關鍵字 none
英文關鍵字 Business performance Internationalization Entrepreneurial orientation Guanxi networks Competitor-related responsiveness Customer-related responsiveness
中文摘要 none
英文摘要 In the past decades, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have played important roles in the Taiwanese economic development history. Till this moment SMEs are still a major contributor in Taiwanese economy and they are still playing an important role as supply chain members and partners for Taiwanese multinational enterprises (MNCs). Due to nowadays the global environment changes so quickly, more and more competition is coming from worldwide especially from emerging countries or developing countries. These competition and challenges are more severe and totally different from the competition in the early years. Especially, Taiwan is a just small island country owning a very small domestic market, probably the best way for Taiwanese SMEs to compete with worldwide competitors is to invest internationally and then try to utilize foreign resource like foreign human resource, natural resource and money capital. Besides investing internationally, SMEs should also pay more attention on market orientation, especially on the aspect of customer and competitor and also try to utilize guanxi networks to gain more resource from domestic government or foreign countries. However, research on this issue is limited and deserves further evaluation. Thus, this study focuses on how "customer-related responsiveness and competitor-related responsiveness" influence SMEs' internationalization and how internationalization orientation influences guanxi networks and firms' performance. In addition, one moderator, "entrepreneurial orientation" is proposed to examine the influences of competitor-related responsiveness on internationalization" and on business performance."
The data was collected from 153 companies and these respondents are all SMEs in Taiwan. In addition, these survey companies are all doing international business like exporting, etc.
The results of this study are summarized as follows: (1) Customer-related responsiveness has significantly influence on outward internationalization, especially for the information generation, dissemination and customer orientation of the affective organizational system. Customer-related responsiveness has significant influence on inward internationalization, especially for information dissemination. (2) Customer-related responsiveness has significant influence on non-financial performance, especially for the information dissemination and customer orientation of the affective organizational system. Customer-related responsiveness has significant influence on financial performance, especially for the information generation and information analysis. (3) Competitor-related responsiveness has significant influence on outward internationalization, especially for the information generation. Competitor-related responsiveness has significant influence on inward internationalization, especially for competitor orientation of the affective organizational system. (4) Competitor-related responsiveness has significant influence on non-financial performance, especially for information analysis. Competitor-related responsiveness has significant influence on financial performance, especially for information storage. (5) Internationalization has significant influence on domestic guanxi networks, especially for inward internationalization. Internationalization has significant influence on foreign guanxi networks, especially for outward and inward internationalization. (6) Guanxi networks have significant influence on non-financial performance, especially for domestic guanxi networks. Guanxi networks have significant influence on financial performance, especially for domestic guanxi networks. (7) EO has moderating effect for the influence of cognitive organizational system of competitor orientation on inward internationalization. (8) Innovativeness of EO has moderating effect for the influence of cognitive organizational system of competitor orientation on non-financial performance. Proactiveness of EO has moderating effect for the influence of cognitive organizational system and non-financial performance.
論文目次 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT	I
LIST OF TABLES	X
LIST OF FIGURES	XIV
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION	1
1.1 Research Background and Motivation	1
1.2 Research Objectives	4
1.3 Structure of the Research and the Scopes of the Study	5
1.4 Research Process	6
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW	8
2.1 Small & Medium Enterprise (SME)	8
2.1.1 The Definition of Manufacturing Small and Medium Entreprise in Taiwan	8
2.1.2 The Development and The Current Status of SMEs in Taiwan	11
2.2 Definition of Constructs	11
2.2.1 Customer-related Responsiveness & Competirior-related Responsiveness	11
2.2.2 Internationalization	14
2.2.3 Internationalization Motivation	15
2.2.4 Guanxi Networks	17
2.2.5 Business Performance	18
2.2.6 Entreprential Orientation	18
2.3 Relationship Among Research Construct	20
2.3.1 The Relationship between Customer-related Responsiveness and Internationalization	20
2.3.2 The Relationship between Customer-related Responsiveness and Business Performance	21
2.3.3 The Relationship between Competitor-related Responsiveness and Internationalization	22
2.3.4 The Relationship between Competitor-related Responsiveness and Business Performance	23
2.3.5 The Moderating Effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation on the Relationship between Competitor-related Responsiveness and Internationalization	23
2.3.6 The Moderating Effect of Entrepreneurial Orientation on the Relationship between Competitor-related Responsiveness and Business Performance	24
2.3.7 The Relationship between Internationalization and Guanxi Networks	25
2.3.8 The Relationship between Guanxi Networks and Business Performance	26
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY	28
3.1 The Conceptual Model	28
3.2 Research Hypothesis	29
3.2.1 Customer-related Responsiveness	29
3.2.2 Competitor-related Responsiveness	31
3.2.6 Entrepreneurial Orientation	35
3.3 The Information of Firms and Respondents	36
3.4 Hypothesis to Be Tested	37
3.5 Sampling Plan	38
3.6 Data Analysis Procedure	38
3.6.1 Descriptive Statistic Analysis	38
3.6.2 Purification and Realiability of the Measurement Variabless	39
3.6.3 Relationships between Research Variables	40
CHAPTER FOUR DISCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS AND RELIABILITY TEST	41
4.1 Descriptive Analyisis	41
4.1.1 Response Rates	41
4.1.2 Characteristics of Sampling Firms and Respondents	42
4.1.3 Measurement Results for Relevant Research Variables	44
4.2 Exploratory Factor Analysis	51
4.2.1 Customer-related Responsiveness Analysis	51
4.2.2 Competitor--related Responsiveness Analysis	53
4.2.3 Internationalization Analysis	54
4.2.4 Guanxi Networks Analysis	55
4.2.5 Business Performance Analysis	56
4.2.6 Entrepreneurial Orientation Analysis	57
4.3 ANOVA Analysis	58
CHAPTER FIVE RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND RESULTS	62
5.1 The Influence of Customer-Related Responsiveness on Internationalization	62
5.1.1 The Influence of Customer-related Responsiveness on Outward Internationalization	63
5.1.2 The Influence of Customer-related Responsiveness on Inward nternationalization	65
5.2 The Influence of Customer-Related Responsiveness on Business Performance	67
5.2.1 The Influence of Customer-related Responsiveness on Non-finacial Performance	68
5.2.2 The Influence of Customer-related Responsiveness on Finacial Performance	70
5.3 The Influence of Competitor-Related Responsiveness on Internationalization	72
5.3.1 The Influence of Competitor-related Responsiveness on Outward Internationalization	73
5.3.2 The Influence of Competitor-related Responsiveness on Inward Internationalization	74
5.4 The Influence of Competitor-Related Responsiveness on Business Performance	76
5.4.1 The Influence of Competitor-related Responsiveness on Non-finacial Performance	77
5.4.2 The Influence of Competitor-related Responsiveness on Finacial Performance	79
5.5 The Influence of Internationalization on Guanxi Networks	81
5.5.1 The Influence of Internationalization on Domestic Guanxi Networks	82
5.5.2 The Influence of Internationalization of Foreign Guanxi Networks	83
5.6 The Influence of Guanxi Networks on Business Performance	85
5.6.1 The Influence of Guanxi Networks on Non-financial Performance	85
5.6.2 The Influence of Guanxi Networks on Financial Performance	86
5.7 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial on Competitor-related Responsiveness and Internationalization	88
5.7.1 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Cognitive Organizational System on Outward Internationalization	88
5.7.2 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Cognitive Organizational System on Inward Internationalization	89
5.7.3 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Affective Organizational System on Outward Internationalization	92
5.7.4 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Affective Organizational System on Inward Internationalization	93
5.8 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial on Competitor-related Responsiveness and Business Performance	95
5.8.1 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Cognitive Organizational System on Non-financial Performance	95
5.8.2 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Cognitive Organizational System on Financial Performance	98
5.8.3 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Affective Organizational System on Non-financial Performance	99
5.8.4 The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Orientation for the Influence of the Affective Organizational System on Financial Perofrmance	101
5.9 The Structure Equation Model (SEM) for the Structure	102
CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION	106
6.1 Conclusion and Managerial Implications	106
6.2 Research Liminations and Future Suggestions	113
REFERENCES	114
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Zahra, S. A., & Covin, J. G., (1993). Business strategy, technology policy and firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 14, 451-478.
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Zhou, L., Wu, W-P., & Luo X. (2007). Internationalization and the performance of born-global SMEs: the mediating role of social networks. Journal of International Business Studies, 38, 673-690.


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HomeTrain Stations
Poipet Train Station is located 850 metres from the border with Thailand at the top end of the railway line from Phnom Penh. Poipet Railway Station has recently reopened with limited train services. The connecting [Read more…]
Kampot Train Station is located on the Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville train line in Cambodia, slightly over 3.9 km from the Durian Roundabout in the centre of Kampot Town. By train it takes 5 hours [Read more…]
Takeo Train Station is the first stop after departing Phnom Penh on the recently reopened passenger train line from Phnom Penh to the resort town of Sihanoukville. Takeo Train Station is a convenient starting point [Read more…]
Battambang Train Station first opened to rail passengers in 1953 and then closed in 2009 before reopening in 2018 following the repair of the train line between Phnom Penh and Poi Pet on the border [Read more…]
Sihanoukville Train Station is the southern terminus for the train line from Phnom Penh which runs 264 km to the south east passing through the towns of Takeo and Kampot on route to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville [Read more…]
Phnom Penh Railway Station was constructed during the French colonial era, opening to passengers in 1932. Despite being effectively out of use as railway station for an 11 year period from 2005 to 2016 Phnom [Read more…]


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Roe v Wade: Anti-abortion push rocks reputation of top US court
Washington, DC – Late last year, US Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked whether the Supreme Court would survive the "stench" of perceived politicisation if it were to revoke the constitutional right to abortion in the United States.
For some critics of the top court's conservative majority, the early answer is no.
"If we start to no longer believe that the rule of law is founded on principles, rather than the whims of politicians wearing robes, then we're really no longer America any more," said Subodh Chandra, a civil rights lawyer based in Cleveland, Ohio.
"We're no better than a banana republic at that point."
Chandra is amongst many legal experts and women's rights activists who are already questioning the reputation of the high court after a draft ruling indicating the court would overturn Roe v Wade – the landmark 1973 precedent that made abortions legal – was leaked to the press on Monday.
The court confirmed the draft's authenticity on Tuesday, but said it was not final. Still, the unofficial decision has sparked nationwide anger with critics arguing that overturning Roe would demonstrate that the court's nine justices – six of whom were appointed by Republican presidents, including three by Donald Trump – are political actors, not impartial jurists.
According to Politico, which first published the draft decision late on Monday, Justice Samuel Alito – a George W Bush appointee – wrote the preliminary decision, which was also backed by conservative Justice Clarence Thomas and Trump's three appointees – Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
"The larger issue that we should all be alarmed by is the sliding back of the US democracy, the dismantling of the rule of law, the slipperiness that now has been invoked within the court in terms of precedent … having very little meaning," said Michele Goodwin, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine.
'More politicised'
Political makeup
Alito's draft
The leak
Goodwin said it is difficult to take the court seriously when justices follow such "dramatically drawn lines" that align with political parties' ideology.
"Part of the American concern right now is that the court has perhaps been infected by the kind of political partisanship that we see in the legislatures," she told Al Jazeera. "And that it's kind of creeped its way into the Supreme Court, which is supposed to be unfazed, unmoved and unmoored or anchored to political party ideology and platform."
Goodwin noted that when Roe was decided in 1973 in a seven-to-two ruling, it was backed by five justices appointed by Republican presidents.
Nearly 50 years later, with "pro-life" activism rising to the forefront of the agenda of the Republican Party, right-wing candidates have openly campaigned on appointing anti-abortion rights justices in an effort to overturn Roe.
Asked during a 2016 presidential debate whether he would want the Supreme Court to overrule Roe v Wade, Trump said: "If we put another two or perhaps three justices on … that will happen, and that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court."
In an unusual move earlier that same year, Trump released a list of conservative jurists as his potential picks to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president for lifetime terms. They have to be confirmed by a simple majority in the Senate.
"There have been external pressures that the court should become more politicised," Goodwin said. "We saw that in stark terms with the last president, Donald Trump, making quite explicitly that he would bring political ideology into the space of appointing federal judges. The movement wouldn't be about qualifications, the ability to interpret law, about judicial temperament, but then it would be specifically around achieving certain political goals."
The potential overturning of Roe v Wade comes in the context of a legal challenge to a Mississippi state law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks.
When Justice Sotomayor – a Barack Obama appointee – warned about the "stench" that revoking the constitutional right to abortion would unleash, she cited Mississippi politicians who had said the state's anti-abortion law would be upheld due to the changing political makeup of the top court.
"Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts? I don't see how it is possible," Sotomayor said.
Goodwin stressed that Roe is not merely a 49-year-old decision, but a precedent that has been repeatedly confirmed, including as recently as 2020 when the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana state law that aimed to restrict abortion access.
But what changed between 2020 and 2022 is that liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died and was replaced by Barrett, a staunch conservative. Although conservatives have had a 5-4 majority on the court for years, Chief Justice John Roberts has previously voted to uphold Roe as a precedent.
Earlier this week, Democratic politicians voiced concern about the standing and future of the court if it rescinds the right to abortion.
"Several of these conservative justices, who are in no way accountable to the American people, have lied to the US Senate, ripped up the Constitution and defiled both precedent and the Supreme Court's reputation," Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democrats, said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
Senator Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican, also told reporters that the draft decision "rocks" her "confidence" in the top court.
In his draft opinion, Alito argues that the landmark precedent must be overruled partly because the US Constitution "makes no reference to abortion", calling for the issue to be resolved at the state level though the political process.
"It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives," he wrote, according to Politico's leaked draft.
Chandra, the lawyer, dismissed both arguments, stressing that fundamental rights are protected by the Constitution to be shielded from political shifts and tyrannical majorities. "The whole point of rights is there are certain things governments can't take away from us," he told Al Jazeera.
"There are certain liberties the government can't take away from us and subjecting ourselves to the prejudices of the tyrannical majority is precisely what the founders caution against. It's why they created the Bill of Rights and why they referred specifically to unenumerated rights."
The Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution – is meant to assert individual, legal and political rights. The Ninth Amendment states that not all rights are listed in the Constitution. It says: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
Chandra added that overturning Roe and leaving abortion matters to the states would make fundamental rights unequal across the country.
"We'll have a situation where someone in Texas is less free than someone in California, and Texas can retaliate against their own residents for daring to travel across state lines to exercise freedoms in California. That's where this is all headed," he said.
For her part, Goodwin said the "overwhelming majority of rights that we hold dear" are not articulated specifically in the Constitution.
"The Constitution [enshrines] equality amongst all citizens," she said. "Women and girls are citizens of this country and are to be afforded equality; they are to be afforded substantive due process and the recognition of their fundamental rights."
Justice Samuel Alito was appointed to the top US court in 2006 by then President George W Bush [File: Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP]
While women's rights advocates have focused most of their anger this week on the potential overturning of Roe v Wade, Republican ire has centred on the leaking of the draft opinion, which is unprecedented.
GOP Senator Ted Cruz said he was "flabbergasted" by the leak, speculating – without offering evidence – that "some angry left-wing law clerk" is behind it.
"This is the consequence of the Democrats' rabidly partisan effort to undermine the court, to attack the court," he told Fox News on Tuesday.
Chandra said the leak demonstrates how politicised the court has become, but he stressed that the real story is the draft ruling itself, not the fact that it was prematurely made public. "They are shouting 'squirrel', trying to distract us from just how odious the opinion is," he said.
Lynne Rambo, a professor emerita at Texas A&M University School of Law, said the leak "increases the likelihood that the court will be seen as a political institution".
"And that's very bad for us – because the court is supposed to be an institution that's free of political and public pressure," she told Al Jazeera in a TV interview.
"Whether it will affect the justices' deliberations in this case, I think there's not a great likelihood of that, but in the future they will be aware that they are at risk of this kind of exposure and I do think that inhibits their discussion and ability to deliberate."
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Podcast Interview with CIO Kevin Wiese, Part 2: "We End Up Learning From Our Non-IT Staff."
Kevin Wiese, CIO, BestSelf Behavioral Health
When you have timelines in place and milestones to meet, as CIOs always do, the last thing you want is to delay them. But when disaster strikes – and poses a strain on your team's resources – difficult decisions have to be made; projects need to be put on hold and expectations need to be adjusted.
It's a difficult scenario for any organization; particularly one specializing in behavioral health, where "patients can be even more distressed and have more anxiety and worry." For BestSelf, which was formed by the merger of Child & Adolescent Treatment Services and Lake Shore Behavioral Health, meeting this needs of this population is one priority that cannot be put on hold, according to Kevin Wiese. Recently, he spoke with healthsystemCIO about how his team worked to ensure care continuity during the pandemic, all while ensuring a major EHR migration stays on track, and how he has been able to leverage his previous experience in project management. He also discussed the key challenges in going through a merger, how the organization is looking to improve security, and what he enjoys most about working in the behavioral health setting.
EHR training with super users
Leading technology integration during the merger
Migrating records: "We planned thoroughly and had the right people involved."
The "large & lengthy project" of merging data centers
From the vendor to the provider side
Value of executive support – "That goes a long way in helping me do my job."
Telehealth's potential impact in behavioral health
"We don't want these to be IT projects."
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It took some time, as these things do, but we planned thoroughly on the IT side, and we had the right people involved.
Our executive team really supports the use of technology, understands the importance of it, and understands the importance of security. That goes a long way in helping someone like me do my job
On the IT side, we look at our staff as our customers. We have a thousand customers here at BestSelf; our top priority is to provide the best service to them that we possibly can.
The behavior health space tends to have a higher no-show rate for visits than other specialties, and so we're wondering if the convenience of being able to do a telehealth session can help us reduce that rate. Time will tell as we continue to look at the data.
Oftentimes, we end up learning things from our non-IT staff. So, it's important for us to survey those folks and do a thorough job of testing applications before we go ahead and do a mass deployment.
Gamble: A big part of transitioning to any new solution is training. Can you talk about your approach to that?
Wiese: We're lucky enough to have a wonderful training department at BestSelf that will play a large part in coordinating and conducting the training program for the new EHR system. We'll start meeting with them to craft a strategy for how we're going to involve our super users, get them trained, and develop plans to get the rest of the organization up to speed on the product, hopefully by the end of this year.
We haven't finalized anything yet, but that will no doubt include things like a training lab where folks can get some hands-on experience with the application. It includes some web-based training as well that makes it easier for folks to attend and view at their convenience, along with some recorded training as well. There will also be an added focus on particular job duties; for example, trainings for counselors, physicians, and administrative office staff.
Gamble: Right. Now, you were at Lakeshore Behavioral Health prior to the merger. What type of role did you have at that point?
Wiese: I was initially hired by Lakeshore as the clinical EMR manager. At the time, Lakeshore had about 250 employees. I was brought in to manage the EHR application; I helped optimize the organization's use of the application, and ensure it was using all the features and functionalities.
Gamble: How did your role change from there?
Wiese: At the time of the merger, I had been promoted to the vice president of information systems, and so I led the technology integration portion. There were two large pieces to that. One was the traditional IT infrastructure piece — the data center, and the second was the merging of client records in the EMR system. To our advantage, both organizations used the same Cerner EHR platform at the time.
Gamble: I'm sure that made it a bit more manageable.
Wiese: Absolutely. There was a lot less training; in fact, there was very little training that had to take place because of that. The biggest lift was we decided to migrate the active client records from Child and Adolescent Treatment Service' Cerner database, because they were smaller at the time, so they migrated those records into the Lakeshore database.
Gamble: That aside, was it a fairly manageable merger, and far as everything that needed to happen from an IT standpoint?
Wiese: It went well. It took some time, as these things do, but we planned thoroughly on the IT side, and we had the right people involved. It was more challenging probably for the Child and Adolescent Treatment Services staff, just because they were migrating into our EHR system. And so, although there are a lot of similarities, there were also differences in the types of forms, or the appearance of a treatment plan, or the look of a progress note that required some adjustment for the staff. We really merged two data centers into one. That was another large and lengthy project that took probably about a year. One organization had its data hosted by an IT partner here in the Buffalo area, and Lakeshore had its own onsite data center. And so we decided to pick up those two and merge them.
Gamble: You mentioned before having some experience on the vendor side. What made you interested in coming to healthcare, and specifically to behavioral health?
Wiese: I've always enjoyed the healthcare side of things. And actually, prior to my time with the medical software company, I worked at a local hospital in Buffalo. I enjoyed healthcare and I enjoyed technology, and at the time, I decided to move on. Things were changing in the EMR industry. A lot of the practices I was leading already had EMR systems in place, so there wasn't as big of a need on the new implementation side. I had a desire to get involved with a healthcare organization where I could work on the technology side and work for a company that was delivering needed health services in the community. I found that here.
Gamble: What would you say are the biggest challenges of working in the behavioral health space?
Wiese: Funding is always a challenge in the nonprofit sector, but we do a good job here. We have a team that does a great job of managing those funding sources and taking advantage of as many grant opportunities as we can. Our executive team really supports the use of technology, understands the importance of it, and understands the importance of security. That goes a long way in helping someone like me do my job and deliver good services and support to the organization.
Gamble: On the flip side, what are some of the biggest benefits of being in behavioral health?
Wiese: BestSelf is a wonderful organization to work for. Management is very supportive, and there's a lot of autonomy. It's a great place to work from that standpoint. And we provide a great service to the community. Our clients feel that they get a lot of benefit out of the services they receive from our folks.
Everyone here really cares about the services they provide. On the IT side, we look at our staff as our customers. We have a thousand customers here at BestSelf; our top priority is to provide the best service to them that we possibly can.
Gamble: It's been interesting to see telehealth get the push it needed. And as you pointed out, some patients actually prefer it. What are your thoughts on what we might see as this shakes out, particularly in the behavioral health space?
Wiese: There are a couple of interesting things we're curious about. One thing we're continuing to monitor is staff productivity. Obviously, on the fiscal side, we need to make sure our staff are being productive and that we continue to bring in revenue. We have a lot of dashboards and visualizations that allow us to keep almost a real-time look at that.
Another area we're curious about is no-show rates, and whether we'll see an impact there. The behavior health space tends to have a higher no-show rate for visits than other specialties, and so we're wondering if the convenience of being able to do a telehealth session can help us reduce that rate. Time will tell as we continue to look at the data.
Another really big effort is our information security program. In addition to the EHR initiative, that's a top priority here in 2020. We've really ramped up our efforts and are looking to make some big gains on the security side here this year.
Gamble: Do you currently have a security officer?
Wiese: That's one thing we've addressed. I'm actually our HIPAA security officer; I've historically managed that piece. We also have a security team that includes our CFO, our IT manager, and our chief compliance officer. But we also recently hired a security compliance analyst, which is going to be a great addition to our organization, and we've partnered with an IT vendor in the area for some managed security services. We really felt that we needed to address those two components of our information security program. One is the technical side and the other is the compliance side. We want to ensure we have the proper policies and procedures in place, and that we're adhering to them.
We just completed a comprehensive review and revision of our security policies and procedures. We're getting ready to deploy a multifactor authentication solution, and we've recently deployed a secure management platform which really helps us on the HIPAA security side as well. So there are a lot of important things going on here on the information side and the cybersecurity side.
Gamble: That's so important. Do you think that providers understand why it needs to be done, even though these things can disrupt workflow? Has that been a challenge, or is there an understanding of what needs to happen in terms of security measures?
Wiese: We certainly hope there's an understanding. We have what we think is a pretty good security awareness program where we continually try to train and reinforce threats and things that folks need to be aware of. Like I said, we have good support from the executive team here on these investments.
It needs to be integrated into everything our folks do. With our multifactor authentication project, for example, we did a thorough proof of concept with the vendor. We piloted it not only in IT, but also with about 20 of our program managers and directors to get their feedback and see what types of issues they might encounter, and to be able to leverage them for buy-in across the organization.
Gamble: I would think that can really make a difference in getting buy-in and building trust.
Wiese: We hope so. As the saying goes, we don't want these to just be IT projects. We want people to feel included, and we want to give folks an option to express their opinions. Oftentimes, we end up learning things from our non-IT staff. So, it's important for us to survey those folks and do a thorough job of testing applications before we go ahead and do a mass deployment.
Gamble: I'm glad you brought that up — security is such a key component in every aspect of care delivery.
Wiese: Sure. It's what we're eating and breathing nowadays.
Gamble: Right. Well, this has been great. I want to thank you so much for your time, and I'd like to follow up down the road, especially as you get further into the implementation.
Wiese: That would be great. I'm always happy to talk. I appreciate you reaching out and I look forward to another conversation down the road.
Podcast Interview with CIO Kevin Wiese, Part 1: "I'm Just Trying to Guide the Process."
Learning From Leaders
Learning To Fly
The Leadership Learning Curve
Weathering A Non-Storm
Filed Under: Behavioral Health, Cybersecurity, Featured, Interviews, Patient Experience, Telehealth Tagged With: BestSelf Behavioral Health, Kevin Wiese, Podcast
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Home / News / Construction & Development / Abbott Northwestern kicks off $28M renovation
Allina Health System is planning a two-year renovation of Abbott Northwestern Hospital's emergency department at 800 E. 28th St. in Minneapolis. (Staff photo: Bill Klotz)
Abbott Northwestern kicks off $28M renovation
By: Brian Johnson August 11, 2015 4:06 pm
Here's a typical treatment room for Abbott Northwestern's emergency department once a $28 million renovation is completed. (Submitted rendering: HGA)
For many people admitted to Allina Health System's Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, their stay begins with a trip to the emergency room — and a long walk to the check-in desk.
The emergency department's drop-off area is about 100 feet from the desk, which can be an arduous journey for ailing visitors, said Choy Leow, director of design for Minneapolis-based Allina.
"That 100 feet could well be 100 miles from a patient's perspective," Leow said in an interview.
That will change soon with help from a $28 million emergency department "redesign" project that brings the check-in desk closer to the curb and improves the overall operations and patient experience.
Abbott Northwestern kicked off the project Tuesday with a ceremonial "wall breaking" at the hospital, at 800 E. 28th St. in the Phillips neighborhood. The event also included recognition of a $3 million donation for the project from the Rod and Barbara Burwell family.
The hospital is one of many upgrading their emergency departments across the state. A recent example is Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, which spent $39 million on a project that quadruples the space of its existing emergency department.
"You are seeing significant investment in emergency departments so they have a high service capability and operate strategically to attract admissions," Allan Baumgarten, an independent analyst with the Minnesota Health Market Review, told Finance & Commerce in 2013. At the time more than three-dozen emergency departments in the state were undergoing renovations and expansions.
Construction at Abbott Northwestern is expected to proceed in four phases, with the first phase wrapping up in mid-2016 and overall completion in 2017, Leow said.
Abbott's emergency department currently serves about 50,000 people each year, and it's expected to reach 60,000 once the renovation is completed. Roughly 40 percent of all hospital admissions come through the department, the hospital said.
Leow said the space was built in the 1970s and most recently updated in the 1990s. The project will cover about 36,000 square feet of space and include 38 exam rooms, he said.
The project is intended to modernize those spaces, improve access, provide faster triage for critically ill patients, expand spaces for mental health crisis care, and create an "aesthetically healing environment," the hospital said.
Minneapolis-based HGA Architects and Engineers, a prolific health care facilities designer, is working on the project. A builder hasn't been selected yet, but Golden Valley-based Mortenson Construction has provided some pre-construction services, Leow said.
Jennifer Klund, a health care principal at HGA, said the number of exam rooms will increase only slightly, but they will allow for more efficient operations. Future expansion is possible to accommodate 48 rooms, she said.
"It's not about the number of rooms per se, but how we deliver care for folks," Klund said in an interview.
The renovation has been in the works for about 20 years, Leow said. "It's essentially a customer-friendly project to make sure we are up to current-day patient and family expectations," he said.
The project comes about three years after completion of another big project at Abbott Northwestern, the $36.5 million, 98,000-square-foot Mother Baby Center, a joint project of Allina Health and Children's Hospitals & Clinics of Minnesota.
The Mother Baby Center merged Abbott Northwestern's labor, delivery and newborn nurseries with Children's neonatal intensive care union, special care nursery and infant care center.
Allina Health is a nonprofit health care system with more than 90 clinics, 13 hospitals, 16 retail pharmacies, and specialty care centers in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to its website.
Abbott Northwestern Hospital Allina Health System Fairview Southdale Hospital HGA Architects and Engineers Mortenson Construction Mother Baby Center 4:06 pm Tue, August 11, 2015 Finance & Commerce


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You are here: Home / Console / Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition Launches On PS4 This Month
Divinity Original Sin Enhanced Edition Launches On PS4 This Month
This week, Larian Studios reported that the Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is launching on PS4 consoles on October 27. In addition, the studio launched a brand new combat trailer for PS4 in order to provide those interested with a look at what you can expect from the different modes, offline cooperative features and combat within the game.
The console version of the new and enhanced RPG edition, originally designed for PC, will offer players everything included in the original version, featuring 12 classes which include a new Inquisitor class to enjoy, alongside new game modes and combat systems to enjoy.
The game's developers - Larian Studios the games, revealed more details below:
"Today's Combat Trailer introduces a new generation to the combat of Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition. Discover how turn-based combat performs effortlessly on gamepads thanks to the intuitive control system and UI designed for consoles.
The combat in Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition, is both torturously tactical, or bright and breezy! It just depends on your play-style and the level of difficulty you picked. The Enhanced Edition comes with three new difficulty modes: Honor, Tactician, and Explorer, each offering a new, tailor made experience honing on different play-styles.
Take advantage of crowd control spells such as petrify, charm, and freeze – required in the harder difficulty settings, or simply ignite, enflame, poison, and electrify your way through the world – zapping water under-foot to shock, or engulfing the enemy in flames by igniting a near-by oil barrel.
It's all about using the skills at your party's disposal to supplement each of their player-defined roles. Although featuring 12 classes (including a new class, the Inquisitor), Divinity: Original Sin – Enhanced Edition is really classless. You can mix and match as you develop your characters, chaining abilities and taking advantage of environmental aspects such as water, ice, oil on the floor, and steam clouds, things like that."
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Home > News > Compliance > Citigroup Ordered to Change Cash Balance Payment Credits
Compliance November 27, 2007
Citigroup Ordered to Change Cash Balance Payment Credits
A federal judge in New York has ordered Citigroup to increase the payment credits in its cash balance plan to comply with minimum accrual rules.
By Fred Schneyer
The latest ruling from U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York followed her order a year ago that the Citigroup cash balance program violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's (ERISA) anti-backloading rules (See Court Gives Thumbs Down to Citigroup Cash Balance Plan). The plan, Scheindlin ruled then, relied on a "fractional test" for figuring out minimum accruals only when a participant separates his or her service from Citigroup, rather than on a year-by-year basis as required by ERISA.
"This proposal best ensures that participants in the Plan receive the benefits to which they are entitled. As a result, this Court orders defendants to increase pay credits as required. To avoid further violation of ERISA, the Plan must make additional payments as required to avoid whipsaws," Scheindlin asserted in the latest decision.
Relating to her earlier ruling that the Citigroup plan violated age discrimination rules, Scheindlin indicated in her latest decision that she would await the outcome of a pending cash balance age discrimination case from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before proceeding on that issue in the Citigroup matter.
The latest decision in In re Citigroup Pension Plan ERISA Litigation, S.D.N.Y., No. 05 Civ. 5296, 11/20/07, is available here.
« SGI Brings on Nationwide Growth Equity Traders


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10 Powers Spider-Man No Longer Uses
By David N. Costello On Aug 24, 2022
Spider-Man does everything a spider can do, but since his creation in 1962 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, he's featured many unique powers. Comic book fans might be most familiar with Spider-Sense, Web-Slinger, and the ability to crawl up walls from Web-Slinger, but Spider-Man has nearly a dozen other powers than the Web-Slinger. he doesn't use very often.
RELATED: 10 Spider-Man Comics So Gripping You Can't Stop Reading Them
Among the abilities the Web-Head has displayed are a handful of powers that seem to have been overlooked, both by Marvel writers and by Spidey himself. Spider-Man may be one of the most well-known and popular heroes, but his power set is still more varied than most fans realize.
For a short time, Peter Parker looked even more like a spider, with eight limbs. In a strange moment during The Six Arms Saga from Stan Lee and Gil Kane, Peter takes an experimental formula to get rid of his powers.
Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned and Peter ended up with four extra arms. While his extra limbs offered him certain benefits, such as being able to multi-task, Peter was not happy. Luckily, Curt Connors, also known as Lizard, helped Peter create an antidote to the original formula, allowing Peter to return to his normal form.
9 Talking to spiders might be helpful
In The other by Peter David, Reginald Hudlin, J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato, Pat Lee, and Mike Wieringo, Peter was given the ability to talk to spiders. During this arc, Peter was cocooned under the Brooklyn Bridge.
RELATED: 10 Secrets That Ruined Everything For Spider-Man
While there, he heard a strange voice telling him that he was afraid of being Spider-Man and had only focused on the human part, while neglecting the spider part. When Peter emerged from his cocoon, he could communicate with spiders. The other explored Peter's acceptance and coming to terms with his more spider-like powers, but unfortunately his ability to speak with spiders disappeared soon after.
8 A spider-vampire is a scary thought
Spider-Man usually deals with neighborhood issues, rarely crossing over into the horror world. However, there are two notable exceptions to this: Spider-Man's battles with Morbius and Morlun, who are both vampires. As unusual as these dangerous foes are in the world of Spider-Man, one day Spidey himself joined the ranks of the undead.
In Spider-Man the Vampire Slayer – by Kevin Grevioux, Roberto Castro, Walden Wong, Sandu Florea, Sotocolor, John Kalisz, Antonio Fabela, Andres Mossa and Dave Sharpe – Peter is bitten by a vampire. Peter transforms into a vampire and finds himself fighting Blade, instead of helping him. Luckily, Peter's time as a vampire was short and he came back to himself soon after.
seven Symbiote powers originally came from a suit
Venom, the alien symbiote, is one of Spider-Man's most well-known villains, but he originally had a different origin. The symbiote's powers originally came from a black suit, and Venom's true origin wasn't revealed until much later in Secret Wars by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck and Bob Layton.
When Peter donned the symbiote suit, he was able to access an additional set of powers. The suit made him both stronger and faster than normal, and he could shapeshift as well. He created his own webbing and was able to camouflage the suit. All of those extra powers were incredibly useful, but when Peter realized the suit was alive, he quickly got rid of it.
6 Peter borrowed the powers of sand from an old enemy
When a hero has been around as long as Spider-Man, they accumulate some interesting alternate powers through unique storylines or alternate universes. In one of these unique stories, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #309 – by Chip Zdarsky, Chris Bachalo, John Livesay, Al Vey, Tim Townsend, Victor Olazaba, Wayne Faucher and Travis Lanham – Spider-Man teamed up with Sandman.
RELATED: Spider-Man: Top 10 Sandman Comics
During this story, Sandman gave his powers to Spider-Man, who used them to battle an evil version of Sandman. Spider-Man only used these powers during this story, but it was interesting to see what he could do with them.
5 Spider-Man Barely Uses His Radiation Resistance
Peter's origin story remains one of the most famous in comics. Over the years, different authors have slightly modified certain elements, but the main details remain the same. Peter is bitten by a radioactive spider, which transfers his powers to him. An often overlooked item, the spider grants Peter immunity to radiation.
In The Amazing Spider-Man #30 – by J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Dan Kemp, Richard Starkings and Wes Abbott – the vampire Morlun tries to feed on Spider-Man. Later, Peter obtains a sample of Morlun's blood and when he studies it, he discovers that Morlun is vulnerable to radiation. Peter charges himself with radiation, so when Morlun bites him again, he will be killed.
4 Spider-man spits acid
While visiting Savage Land, Spider-Man unlocked the Man-Spider, a mutated, more primitive version of himself. The final stage of Spider-Man's genetic mutation, Man-Spider sported eight limbs and even more strength than the regular Spider-Man. Man-Spider could even spit acid, a power that proved useful, albeit crude.
The acid that Man-Spider could spit out was very powerful and deadly. Using this acid, Spidey could melt through metal surfaces in seconds. Since this acid spit isn't part of Spider-Man's usual powers, fans rarely see it often, and many probably don't realize it's one of his abilities.
3 Spidey's clone realized he could burn people
Any Spider-Man fan knows that small tendrils extend from Peter's hands that allow him to stick to any surface, helping him scale walls. Peter's clone Kaine or the Scarlet Spider would discover another use for these sticky tendrils.
Kaine realized he could use them to burn his enemies, or even rip their skin off. Since Kaine is a clone of Peter, Peter can do the same. This power proves to be a brutal tool for extracting information or downing enemies in battle. Since it's a darker ability, Peter hasn't used it in a while.
2 Spiders don't have stingers, unlike Peter.
During The other by Peter David, Reginald Hudlin, J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato, Pat Lee, and Mike Wieringo gave Peter powers closer to those of a real spider, including his ability to communicate with arachnids. However, some abilities Peter gained after his apparent death and stay in the cocoon weren't actually spider powers.
RELATED: The 10 Most Awesome Spider-Man Suits
The other also gave Peter retractable stingers, despite the fact that no species of spider actually possesses them. Peter's darts were sticking out of his hands and looked like knives. He used them to fight Morlun and save Mary Jane. Once the arc is over, the darts are gone.
1 Spider-Man has super speed
Superspeed is a common power in Marvel comics, but it's not one most people associate with Spider-Man. Spidey is best known for being incredibly agile and for his acrobatic skills. Although he can't keep up with the more famous speedsters like the Flash or the Quicksilver, Peter is incredibly fast.
The robot's speed helps him dodge bullets, speed through the city, and catch up to enemies on foot if he needs to. While most heroes are fast, Spider-Man's super speed hasn't been explored much in his comics.
NEXT: 10 Spider-Man Comics That Are (Designally) Funny
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Andrew Garfield explains the danger that comes with playing Spider-Man


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A Blog About Facts of the World
Home » Music » 10 Facts about Amy Winehouse
10 Facts about Amy Winehouse
Saturday, January 17th 2015. | Music
Facts about Amy Winehouse tell you about the English singer and songwriter. She was born on 14 September 1983 as Amy Jade Winehouse. This woman chooses the eclectic mix of music genres which make her famous because of the deep vocals. She often mixes jazz, reggae, blues, and rhythm and blues. Find out more about Winehouse below:
Facts about Amy Winehouse 1: the debut album
Her debut album is entitled Frank. It was released in 2003 and she gained a lot of success in UK. Her album Frank got the nomination from Mercury Prize.
Facts about Amy Winehouse 2: Grammy Awards
A singer must be proud when she or she can take a Grammy award. Amy got five Grammy awards in 2008 because of her follow up album Back to Black released in 2006. Therefore, she is called as the first female British who could win five Grammy Awards in a single night.
Amy Winehouse Facts
Facts about Amy Winehouse 3: other awards
There are many other awards that Amy Winehouse has collected. Others include three Ivor Novello Awards, "Big Four" awards, and 2007 Brit Award for Best British Female artist.
Facts about Amy Winehouse 4: death
It is very sad to know that the young Amy died. She was a very talented singer and song writer. On 23 July 2011, the sad news broke and Winehouse was found dead because of alcohol poisoning.
Amy Winehouse Pic
Facts about Amy Winehouse 5: Greatest Women in Music
She took the 26th position in the list of 100 Greatest Women in Music on VH1 in 2012. Find out facts about Alicia Keys here.
Facts about Amy Winehouse 6: Frank Sinatra
The title of her album was Frank. It was taken from Frank Sinatra who introduced Amy to jazz.
Amy Winehouse Singer
Facts about Amy Winehouse 7: place of birth
Amy's parents were Jewish. She was born in Chase Farm Hospital in north London. Her mother is Janis Winehouse who works as a pharmacist. Her father is Mitchell Winehouse. He worked as a taxi driver.
Facts about Amy Winehouse 8: a sibling
She only has one sibling. He is Alex. Her older brother was born in 1979.
Facts about Amy Winehouse 9: musicians
There are many family members of Amy who worked as a professional Jazz Musicians. One of them is Cynthia. She was her paternal grandmother who worked as a Jazz singer. Get facts about Amy Lee here.
Facts about Amy Winehouse 10: Easy Living Magazine
Amy wanted to raise the awareness on a breast cancer by appearing in Easy Living Magazine. She appeared naked on the magazines in 2008.
Facts about Amy Winehouse
Are you fascinated by reading facts about Amy Winehouse?
tags: Amy Winehouse, Facts about Amy Winehouse
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Copyright © 2017 Fact File


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Out Now: ABSOLUTE. – Harmony EP
ABSOLUTE.
The 'Harmony' EP from Londoner ABSOLUTE. is out now on Twin Turbo. The British producer/dj has crafted two top notch original cuts and he's joined by the returning Vakkuum on remix duty. Early support from Tiga, The Black Madonna, and more.
Stream/Download the EP here.
When presented with a young talent with his whole life and a brilliant career ahead of him, we at Twin Turbo feel the only morally acceptable thing to do is to get out of the way and minimize the risk of the least important promotional arm of the music business hindering the otherwise inevitable upswell of positive energy and unmitigated success that lay ahead.
Tiga recently took to the BBC airwaves to declare ABSOLUTE. "a future star," and we're just going to leave it at that, rather than mention something the Twin Turbo label boss may have added about wanting to create an "animal blockchain" of up-and-coming talent. It's simply not necessary. The London-based DJ/producer has earned support from Annie Mac, The Black Madonna and Erol Alkan, a veritable Influencer's Row of venerated tastemakers. On a more personal level, when ABSOLUTE. was younger and owned only one deck, he used to beat match along to Pete Tong's radio sets. That's genuinely charming and relatable, and requires no further embellishment . He also espouses the virtues of a strong work ethic and open-mindedness, and in doing so gives us a glimpse of what dance culture could be like if we could simply erase the miserable baggage of anyone over 24.
And the music? Oh, it'll make you gotta dance all right.


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As we've been planning for a second store, we've also been evaluating our own answers to questions such as, "What impact does Willy Street Co-op have on its community?" Although it would be difficult to attach hard numbers, we have been discussing the tangible and intangible ways in which it does. In doing so, we also realized two things: 1) we do a lot of sustainable things, and 2) they're so much a part of the way we do things, we don't always keep up with telling our Owners all the things we're doing.
A large portion of our daily practices in sustainability and community education are driven by the Co-op's mission and monitored through the little-known Global Ends Policies, a long list of directions for what staff and management are expected to accomplish. From financial performance to safety and environmental responsibilities to name a few, the complete list of Global Ends Policies can be viewed on our website (willystreet.coop/Global_Ends_Policy). Our hope in presenting the following information is to create awareness about those things we are doing to reduce our carbon footprint, promote sustainable businesses and organizations, and support the lives of people we serve each day.
Carbon Happens
A carbon footprint measures the impact an individual or business has on the environment through the burning of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions generated on a typical day. This includes our heating, transportation and waste, which produce carbon dioxide and are measured in tons.
Grocery stores generally use enormous amounts of energy to heat or cool products (not to mention the people working and shopping in them). Freezers, coolers, ovens, hot-cases, cold cases and other equipment not only consume a lot of energy, but they typically produce a lot in the form of heat. Rarely does a season go by we don't hear the store is too cold, especially in summer. This unfortunate dynamic is actually part of a plan to reduce power needs for the engines in the store's many freezers and coolers that would be forced to work harder at staying cold if the temperature around them was kept too warm. Meeting a balance that satisfies everyone's needs is our goal, however when extreme or sudden changes in outdoor temperature occur, it can take a while for the temperature in the store to adjust.
To offset our use of fossil fuels in the store and in our Production Kitchen, Willy Street Co-op has developed several approaches to meet our high-energy demands and to decrease wasted energy. When the current store building was acquired, designers of the space planned for lighting occupancy sensors in offices and non-retail areas to decrease wasted light energy and they installed high windows to harness day lighting wherever possible. Equipment and appliances bought for the store are Energy-Star certified, and high-efficiency refrigeration systems and a heat reclamation system were installed. Eventually a solar-collection system was installed on the Co-op's roof to offset some of the energy needs, but the scheduled installation of a solar thermal system, which will be used to pre-heat water, is expected to significantly reduce the amount of carbon-based fuels used in daily operations at the store.
Our local energy provider, Madison Gas & Electric (MG &E) has also been working for decades to research alternative sources for clean energy and the Co-op is pleased to be a partner in their Green Wind Power program which works to expand the sustainable creation of power through the use of wind and wind turbines (windmills). MG&E is also exploring the introduction of electric vehicles in Madison and will provide another opportunity for us to cooperate by housing a charging site for this new hybrid vehicle. Two spaces in our parking lot will be accessible for electric vehicle-charging (but not reserved exclusively) where users can recharge their vehicles using the three-foot high "pump.". We are pleased to see MG&E working on these initiatives and hope to see these exciting projects succeed and reduce the use of not-so-green or other traditional energy resources.
Another commonality among retail grocery stores is our reliance on reams of paper products. To reduce our environmental impact while providing essential packaging materials, we choose post-consumer recycled paper for store supplies, including shopping bags whenever possible. And the colorful printing on those paper products became more earth-friendly when manufacturers began offering water-based inks on shopping bags and other foodservice items (cups, salad boxes, etc.).
Until we discover a revolutionary new plan to replace the cardboard box with a more sustainable product, we'll continue to handle the hundreds of boxes received in the store each week by crushing them together to make large bales, which are then picked up by a local recycler. Some of our vendors have found ways to save money and reduce waste by requesting that their boxes be returned to them for reuse when it's appropriate and wouldn't conflict with safe food handling guidelines. Still, only a fraction of the boxes received on a delivery day are made available for shoppers to also reuse for their groceries or personal use.
Graduating from plastics
Next is our use of plastic. It's taken some time, but new innovations in corn-based forks, spoons and knives have finally made it affordable to offer this compostable cutlery instead of unrecyclable plastic. If you're not on-the-go and want to enjoy your prepared foods or salads in the store, the blue plastic plates and bowls and metal cutlery available in the Deli are a good environmental choice and can be left in the dish tub in our Commons area to be washed and sanitized in our Deli kitchen. Or if you're grabbing a cup of coffee and plan to spend some time in the Commons area, let the Juice Bar staff know you'd rather use one of the available mugs or glasses at the Juice Bar.
When a national natural food chain issued a press release announcing they would no longer offer plastic bags in their store, Willy Street Co-op was contacted by local news writers who inquired about our position on the plastic bag issue. We were happy to report that throughout our 35-year history, we have purchased only paper bags. We do, however, offer the reuse of plastic bags, which are dropped off by other customers.
In 2005, as the national movement to promote bringing your own canvas or recycled bags to the grocery store started to accelerate, we kicked off the "Nickel & Dime Us" campaign to encourage more people to use re-useable bags by issuing a five-cent credit to shoppers for each paper or plastic bag they brought and used or ten cents for canvas or other textile bags. By 2009, nearly 295,000 individual credits were issued for cloth and paper/plastic bag reuse, totaling $28,388.
Though we're seeing more and more shoppers using fabric or recycling plastic produce bags from home, our Produce department uses 100 percent post-consumer recycled content bags for customers who need them. Packaging for pre-made dips, grab-and-go food and the Deli case is made from at least 50 percent recycled post-consumer plastic bottles and we continue to seek out and request better options for these essential items from our bag vendors.
By the way, if you haven't already seen the clear bins near the front doors of the store, you can now unload your stashes of plastic bags in one of these City of Madison receptacles. As if it wasn't a sweet enough deal to begin with, the city plans to send their own drivers to pick-up the bags and deliver them to the recycling center.
Nuts and bolts and wires and pipes
When it comes time to call a plumber, electrician, architect, or other professional, our first choice is to partner with a local business or service provider. To support an economically vibrant community, we recognize the role this decision plays in retaining and creating local jobs and reducing fuel and transportation costs.
Righteous garbage
Sometimes things happen just when they're supposed to, and so it was on that serendipitous day when our Kitchen Manager, Josh Perkins, inquired about who we might partner with to compost the hundreds of pounds of organic fruit and vegetable scraps generated in the Willy Street Co-op kitchens each week. A call was placed to the Christie Ralston, Executive Director for Groundworks at Troy Community Farm on Madison's North Side, and they were thrilled to get the call as they were in the final stages of constructing a greenhouse to be used for teaching and sustaining the farm year-round.
A significant project to create nutrient-rich compost through a process called vermiculture will take up one portion of the greenhouse and essential to creating compost are vegetable and fruit scraps. Christie and Farm Manager Claire Strader were even more thrilled to learn that Willy Street Co-op will also be delivering the scraps to the farm each week.
Grounds for concern
Work to prevent run-off from our parking lot from flowing toward Madison's lakes was in the forefront of our thinking when the Co-op's rain garden on Jenifer Street was designed and installed. Absorbing rainwater that's collected from the building's roof, loading dock and parking lot, the main garden consists of a large gulley to temporarily hold all of that water, which is deposited there through drain pipes on each end. Native plantings in the gulley were selected for their beauty and ability to withstand the occasional flooding and act as a natural water filter.
During a downpour, or when melting occurs, salt, gas and oil drippings from cars parked in the parking lot flow toward an intentional dip in the center of the parking lot to allow water to stream toward another rain garden, referred to as the "snake garden." To our knowledge, there are no actual snakes there, but through a series of s-curves dug into the landscape, the run-off is partially dammed, creating an opportunity for the plants to filter the water and inhibit those elements from ending up in the lakes.
Around the rain gardens and grounds of the Co-op, maintenance staff follows strategic protocols designed to eliminate or reduce waste or pollution. To compost trimmings or foliage from direct weeding, a "brown" yard composter was built on the Jenifer St. side of the building.
As it would be expected, there are no synthetic pesticides or herbicides used in maintaining the lawns on Co-op property, but taking a cue from our organic farmers, a vinegar and clove-based herbicide is used around the building's exterior as needed during the growing season.
Inside the building, environmentally sound soaps and cleaning agents are used whenever possible, and cleaning and office supplies are bought in bulk to limit the amount of packaging and pollution from transportation. Led by Maintenance Coordinator Jim Jirous, the maintenance team of handy craftspeople also have a knack for finding ways to fix or renovate broken or discarded furniture and display fixtures into useful creations to meet our needs and keep more trash out of landfills. These brave souls are also shepherds of our robust recycling systems which collect paper, packing peanuts, light bulbs, toner cartridges and plastic.
More next month
Next month, this article continues outlining ways in which we participate in our community outside the Co-op walls.


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Chinese envoy meets Tarin
NNI Published July 14, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China Nong Rong called on the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin in Islamabad on Tuesday. SAPM on Finance and Revenue Dr Waqar Masood and Secretary Finance Division were also present during in the meeting.
While extending a warm welcome to Nong Rong, the Finance Minister stated that China-Pakistan bilateral relationship is an epitome of enduring friendship and brotherhood.
CPEC has ushered a new era of economic prosperity and is of utmost importance for Pakistan. CPEC will generate abundant employment and investment opportunities in Pakistan and beyond, he added.
The Finance Minister commended that Joint Corporation Committee (JCC) has been activated. Working groups have been formed under the umbrella of JCC which would focus on different areas including planning, energy, industrial cooperation, infrastructure, communication, agriculture and overall socio-economic development. The focal persons of each working group would remain in regular contact.
The Finance Minister applauded the Chinese model of farming and stated that Pakistan could learn from China for enhancing agricultural productivity in the country. Ambassador welcomed the suggestion and assured of his country's full cooperation in imparting technical know-how and practical orientation to Pakistani counterparts in this regard.
In his remarks, Chinese Ambassador said that China is committed to develop the CPEC projects under the vision of shared prosperity and it will further strengthen and expand economic cooperation between both the countries.
Both sides underscored the importance of expediting the establishment of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for creating abundant investment and employment opportunities in identified areas.
In his concluding remarks, the Finance Minister affirmed full support and cooperation to Chinese investors and businessmen.
Finance Division SAPM Dr Waqar Masood Shaukat Tarin CPEC project


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CHAPTER 300 MANUFACTURE, DISTRIBUTION, AND RETAIL SALE OF CONSUMABLE HEMP PRODUCTS
SUBCHAPTER A GENERAL PROVISIONS
RULE §300.102 Applicability of Other Rules and Regulations
ACTION Final/Adopted
Hemp manufacturers, processors, distributors, and retailers must comply with all relevant laws and rules applicable to the manufacture, processing, distribution and sale of consumable products, including:
(1)Chapter 217, Subchapter C of this title (relating to Rules for the Manufacture of Frozen Desserts);
(2)Chapter 229, Subchapter D of this title (relating to Regulation of Cosmetics);
(3)Chapter 229, Subchapter F of this title (relating to Production, Processing, and Distribution of Bottled and Vended Drinking Water);
(4)Chapter 229, Subchapter G of this title (relating to Manufacture, Storage, and Distribution of Ice Sold for Human Consumption, Including Ice Produced at Point of Use);
(5)Chapter 229, Subchapter L of this title (relating to Licensure of Food Manufacturers, Food Wholesalers, and Warehouse Operators);
(6)Chapter 229, Subchapter N of this title (relating to Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Warehousing Practice In Manufacturing, Packing, Or Holding Human Food);
(7)Chapter 229, Subchapter W of this title (relating to Licensing of Wholesale Distributors of Prescription Drugs--Including Good Manufacturing Practices);
(8)Chapter 229, Subchapter X of this title (relating to Licensing of Device Distributors and Manufacturers); and
(9)Chapter 229, Subchapter GG of this title (relating to Sanitary Transportation of Human Foods).
The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed the adoption and found it to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.
Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on July 13, 2020
Barbara L. Klein
Department of State Health Services
Proposal publication date: May 8, 2020


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Unforgettable Moments From Sat..
Towards Progressive Design Thi..
by Sam Nichols
In the midst of our environmental crisis, WOWOWA is championing an approach to make homes not houses.
"Life's too short for boring spaces." It's a simple, yet emphatic maxim that Monique Woodward, one of the founding directors of WOWOWA, has embraced to describe the firm's vision.
Created in 2011, the Melbourne-based civic and residential architecture firm champions an approach to create homes reflecting their clientele's nuance and personality. And while custom builds may not be a unique business pursuit, WOWOWA's commitment is; refusing to work on any residential project that's not purposed to be lived in for at least five years. "In our mind, it's a house that's designed to be loved," Monique tells Habitus, later adding. "People need to emotionally buy into the narratives of the architecture. See [its] value, and to love it, to spend money on sustainability."
Tiger Prawn. Photography by Shannon McGrath.
While the idea of an emotional buy-in does allow for more conscious decision making – take a gas-free home for example – this notion of longevity is interesting, as often, the purpose of our buildings aren't often discussed at length. Especially within the paradigm of sustainability, but there is an impact. According to a 2019 report released by the Australian Industry Group, Australia saw 8 808 private house approvals in February 2019. If you consider the number of resources and land required to build a single home, one built for a short-term profit has an ugly inconsistency about it.
"The paradigm of the way we talk about sustainability hasn't worked for a really long time. It's not making the impact that we need it to, so how do you approach it in a different way that's around humour? Because humour's the thing that connects us all," Monique emphasises.
Modernist Wonderland. Photography by Martina Gemmola.
Almost every industry, to some capacity, has been influenced by this universal need for sustainability, Monique herself suggesting how the next architectural movement will be centred around sustainability, inclusivity and humour. But as she continues, Monique discusses how architecture could not only reduce its impact, it could be a solution. "…It's how architecture should not be contributing. It needs to help reduce," she adds.
This mentality reflects a change in the industry's status quo. One championed by newer firms to address both environmentalism and social egalitarianism – a reality seen by the next National Australian Architecture Conference, Monique herself being one of the event's curators.
Yarra Pools, Melbourne.
Like any change, it's difficult to know when it'll occur. What is clear though is that WOWOWA's prioritisation for longevity and connectivity reflect how consciousness as a concept is beginning to be embraced, and prioritised, within all architecture. "I think each generation has their own social concerns and construct. For us, it's starting to see what ours is and to unpack that."
WOWOWA Architecture
wowowa.com.au
Il Duomo. Photography by Martina Gemmola. Styling by Ruth Welsby.
Keano Warehouse. Photography by Martina Gemmola. Styling by Ruth Welsby.
We think you might also like Modernist Wonderland by WOWOWA
Tags: Architecture, Australia, civic architecture, design, Home Architecture, Longevity, Monique Woodward, Residential Architecture, WOWOWA
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