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We're very excited to share the third episode of Leading Tourism's Transition, our new podcast series. In this episode, we'll be exploring which capabilities we should invest in to help us to achieve a sustainable data-driven future with Birka Valentin and Michelle Novotny, two experts in the industry. Below you can find the whole transcription of this episode.
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Nick Hall
Welcome to the third episode of Leading Tourism's Transition, where today I'm joined by, of course, as usual, Birka Valentine, who has been steering and helping us get through this very challenging topic of how we explore data and sustainability towards a data-driven future when we think about sustainable tourism.
And we'll be joined by our guest, Michelle Novotny, the lead data analyst at Clever Places, who will be helping us to get some perspective when it comes to people and how we invest in the right capabilities to help us to achieve those goals.
Today we'll be asking questions such as, do we have enough people? Do we have the right skills? And do we have the right knowledge that exists both within companies and organisations, but also across the wider industry? We'll be looking at how to attract them and how to retain them over the long term. And of course, why is this important when we think not only about sustainability but about having a sustainable approach to investing in data-driven strategies? We'll be looking at whether is it feasible for every organisation across our industry to foster data right at the very heart of its operations. There are many challenges that come up when we discuss this. So without hesitation, let's jump into that conversation.
So welcome back everybody. It's great to be here with episode 3 where we are focusing on how to invest in capability around data. Now, I'm very pleased to be joined once again by Birka Valentin. Great to see you again.
Birka Valentine
Hi, Nick, good to be here.
And today, tell us a little bit about today's guest because as I have mentioned in the previous episodes, we've been working together to see who can help frame the topics that we have been tackling in this series. So we're here with Michelle Novotny. I'm really pleased to have you here.
Michelle Novotny
Hi. Thanks so much for having me.
Before we head over and hear a little bit more about yourself, maybe I'll invite Birka just to tell us a little bit about why you think Michelle is a really interesting match for this topic.
Yeah, yeah. The answer is quite simple, Nick. I think when we look around the tourism sector right now and who's doing work at the destination level as well, in terms of data, there are obviously many, many people involved nowadays, but there are probably more men than women.
Michelle will introduce herself, obviously, with more detail, with the company Clever, a female-led enterprise, focusing on data, and I thought that would be a really good contribution to the topic and a nice kickoff as well in talking about human resources and the skills needed. So that obviously put us the expertise and that she is a female, I thought was a good, good start for this one.
Well, Michelle, you certainly seem like a very, very driven female leader. So tell us a little bit about your background. Let's help everybody get to know who you are and what brought you to today's podcast.
For sure. Thank you so much for having me on today. I'm a recent graduate from the Master of Science and Management program at Toronto Metropolitan University. So I have a background in research in data analytics, specifically within the hospitality and tourism industry. I've worked as a research assistant since 2019, and I've recently come on as the data analyst at Clever Places. So we're a startup company focused on data insights for DMOs, basically, we try to aggregate and integrate all of their tourism insights and data into our easy-to-use dashboard tool.
That's great. Well, it certainly sounds like you've got things off to a very, very strong start. So let's first of all talk about capability, because I think this is definitely the topic that we want to get underneath the skin of today. And maybe just before we jump into some of the different angles we need to explore here for you, why is it so important that DMOs are becoming more and more data-driven? Why is this something that they need to absolutely prioritise in their work?
Yeah, I think it's really important for me, it comes down to sort of three Rs, which are responsibility, reliability and relevance. Like in terms of responsibilities, the tourism industry is one of the largest economic sectors worldwide. So we have an enormous impact, both positive and negative on the environment or communities in the economy. So we owe a responsibility to monitor that impact and have an influence there. And data-driven decision-making gives us the tools to do that.
I think it also comes down to reliability. So with information communication technologies and big data, we're able to make smarter and faster decisions so we don't have to rely on just past experience and intuition. And then finally, relevance. So DMOs have often been criticised for their inability to adapt to technological and societal trends. So this offers an opportunity for them to continue to remain relevant in this dynamically evolving tourism landscape.
Yeah, and that's the challenge, right? How do you actually remain relevant through the evolution of how you approach this, how you incorporate it, and how you develop the right people and the talent and the understanding in order to be able to actually achieve that opportunity? Before we kind of jump into that, Birka what's your experience been with this? I know you've worked very comprehensively within destinations and also between destinations, so you must have surely seen a really interesting set of differences when it comes to the role that people play in this process.
Yeah, yeah. I mean, if we're really looking at the foundation of it all right? And all of the projects that we see in destinations on the data side, but all the others, obviously there are many, many success factors for those kinds of projects, but I do think the common element and all of them are always the people and that it succeeds and falls with whoever is behind that.
So in terms of the data-driven aspect, when we talk about strengthening data capacities within destinations, there is a very noticeable difference if you see in destinations. If there is some staff that knows a little bit more about that topic, then there's always the more the traditional capacity of analysing kind of the traditional information, statistics, for example, that usually you can find.
Um, but going beyond that in different destinations than you do see, start to see the differences of who's been able to go deeper into certain insights have a broader insight and more different data sources, right? And going into what Michelle was mentioning, the big data sources, for example, and that is also, I wouldn't even say it depends much on the country, or on the Destination, maybe there's sometimes a bit of a cultural part in that one as well, but it's more, I think of a development aspect of the DMOs as well. And what kind of development stage are they in, how important is this data for them, and what's the commitment to lead with more evidence and tangible insights?
We actually touched on this a little bit in the last episode where we spoke especially about the need to commit to the long term. And that was something that we kind of picked up on as not only a question of investing in projects, resources, and plans that can take us really far into the future because data is something we need to build and build and build upon.
But I think we also mentioned a little bit the people aspect of that as well, and looking at how to build and invest in the right people that can take things all the way through to their full potential. So Michelle, turning to you, tell me a little bit about why you see people as being key to this important kind of goal of transforming how we work as destinations and putting data as the driving force towards destination transformation.
Yeah, I think people played such a fundamental role in this change at all different levels. I mean, we need the people that are building smart tourism infrastructures or researchers or data scientists and analysts. There are those stakeholders that are interacting with this infrastructure, like our tourists and residents and our businesses, and then there are those who are going to leverage this infrastructure to actually make the decision. So at all different levels, it's people and it's having those skills and even just the ability to communicate these insights that we're getting.
So you're kind of referring here, to one key set of skills, which I think maybe also quickly is the assumption that a lot of people would have. When you talk about data and you talk about skills, you immediately kind of connect it with okay, data scientists, people who are very analytical and able to work with the data sets that are the kind of the baseline of what we're doing. But you're also talking about a kind of leadership level as well there then. So the capability of right up to directors, vice president, CEOs, also being comfortable to really talk and work with data.
I think Nick, the topic about the profiles is really important, because one of the things we still haven't really gotten around to yet that we talk about data-driven destinations and maybe with one or two people that that would be enough, right? But if we are really talking about a whole transformation of an entire system, and obviously in that, you need at least a basic understanding of that kind of insights and how this is being generated. And obviously, then you need the specialist, right?
At the technical level who are able to do all the different processes of data, which are also not just looking or getting data, but then the whole cleaning part, the analytical part, and then turning these insights that we are finding into stories that are understandable for the non-data people from inside and outside their organisations, and being able to actually tell that story, including correlating different insights here, right? But that requires not only data and knowledge but also then tourism knowledge, right? And that's another then step towards where we need to go.
Yeah. So we kind of often focus on these one or two individuals, but I guess if we look at the need, it's really, are we talking about trying to upgrade almost the skills of an entire organisation, so everybody who has to work on everything related to the DMOs direction to be, have a kind of level of fluency when it comes to data?
I think there's a need to be individuals within the DMO that have the capacity to analyse the data, but also communicate it within the context of the tourism industry. And I think everyone needs to be able to understand it at some level, but there do need to be those specific individuals that have that background in data science and analytics.
Now, Birka, you spoke about storytelling data, which I think it's something that's quite nice to connect with because it is that human aspect of being able to take something that's blunt, you know, a set of numbers and somehow kind of tell the human part that sits behind that. What does that tell us? How does that impact someone's life? How does that impact the experience? And I guess that's quite a rare skill, right? What are we actually looking for in order to find people who can be almost sort of translators between data and between interpretation and understanding there?
Yeah. It's definitely a multidisciplinary profile, right? We're talking about someone who doesn't need to have specific in-depth knowledge, a data analyst that goes into all the different details or someone who then builds the different graphics or maps whatsoever. But someone who needs to understand how those things function. Especially, one of the really important things I think that really helps to tell stories is the geographical aspect, right? And then we're talking about someone as well that needs to understand maps and geographic information and putting that into a kind of a location context. That itself is a huge challenge sometimes. It's a bit of a multidisciplinary person. I think that requires a bit of everything, but not in depth.
And Michelle, you've gone from being a fairly recent graduate to having a key role as a data analyst at Clever Places, which is a great accomplishment. So early on in your career, so perhaps this gives you a different perspective as well. How do you see the development process and the opportunities that are available? As someone who graduated, what was your experience like when we talk about data?
You know, from my perspective, we're talking about something that everybody had to get on board with, teach themselves, learn themselves, and really pursue a genuine sense of curiosity if that isn't their core background. But today, bringing the right talent into the industry doesn't require data scientists as such, but it requires, as Birka was talking about this kind of multi multi-disciplined skillset. What's your experience been, you know, going through the further education process and then into graduate positions and then up through the ladder, what's been great and also what's been missing?
Yeah, exactly. I think you mentioned it perfectly that it's difficult to find people that have that background in both analytics and understanding the data process, but that also have that knowledge of the tourism industry. Because it is quite complex and it's a large industry with a lot of different players. So to be just someone with a background in just data science isn't really enough to come into tourism and really communicate it and tell the story. But then also, are we having enough education at the level of our colleges and universities in these tourism programs, giving graduates enough, background in data science so they can then go into the industry and apply it?
I'd say I was very lucky with my program at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management to have courses that were in information technology management and they built the foundation of those skills. I was really able to build on them in my master's program where I took a lot of statistics courses that really helped build on that. But, you know, it's also been along the way a lot of just self-taught and learning and mentorships as well within the industry and watching tutorials and videos and learning yourself and reading books. So it's gotta be a passion as well. You gotta have a passion for both the data and the industry.
That's a very interesting perspective. I think it's one that's quite different from maybe how education and tourism looked, say 15 years ago or even a little bit longer. And there does seem to be a significant increase in the integration of analytical aspects into tourism programs. And this seems to be that it can only really be a good thing for what our industry needs right now, which is perhaps more the comfort and confidence to then take that learning and that level of understanding wherever the intrigue and curiosity kind of brings you.
It's also really nice to hear about that kind of self-learning pursuit that then you can kind of take forward based on a genuine passion and interest. Do you think we have the right environment in the industry to kind of embrace that kind of excitement, that curiosity, and see people develop and be able to contribute these skills in this interest further?
I definitely think we have the right passion and drive to do so. I think really the limitation comes down to resources and if DMOs have the capacity to put money into the training and development and the hiring of these individuals that share those passions because I really think their responsibilities have expanded so much over the years, but it doesn't seem like their teams and budgets have necessarily expanded to represent those growing responsibilities. So it really comes down to those limitations. But I've seen that a lot of DMOs want to.
Yeah, there certainly seems to be a lot of determination and commitment, but how that translates maybe looks a little bit different. What's your experience of that being Birka?
I agree with Michelle. You see luckily more and more of those elements are being put into the curriculum, right? You see more and you see passionate people around this. And the good thing about this is that there is a lot of self-learning, through, you know, all the digitalised courses nowadays. So you don't always just depend on the traditional kind of educational system. Plus it's a very kind of dynamic environment that changes so quickly that is really not something you learn and then you are done with it. It's a continuous kind of education of yourself, and to keep that, obviously, we need the environments within the DMO as well to help us have the time to do that as well, right?
That's many times also get lost in so many daily activities and responsibilities that I've seen one of the challenges and destinations that's just to give that time also to employees and enable them to learn. But then there's also a really big question about how much of the knowledge we want to internalise in our DMOs and how much can we share with other organisations. How much can we rely on maybe freelancers and how much can we rely on organisations, such as the one from Michelle? It's an internal decision-making process that everyone needs to make to see what we need. What kind of questions do we want to answer, as we talked about last time and how much of that do we want to build internally? And that's a strategic decision in the end.
Yeah, I think that's actually a really great point. I mean, we see that one of the biggest issues, and not only in terms of data and development, but really across the board, and it also includes brand and marketing work, is that destinations have a tendency to outsource huge responsibilities to agencies, that they maybe work with for one to two years. And then that changes and changes and changes. And sometimes that can give them really quick wins, really fast results, something very tangible, very presentable. But there often is this lack of continuity and this lack of ownership of the knowledge of the ideas of the creativity that goes into that. And we see that those that do really well kind of break that model. They actually internalise that and they make a lot of success alongside a lot of failure in the process, I guess.
What do you think is the biggest barrier or challenge to trying to switch the mindsets to outsourcing these big ideas or big projects to actually seems like almost remodelling operations where everybody is committed to the joint kind of development process? Whether or not they necessarily know or have the answers to get there.
At Clever Places, we're trying to make it more of a partnership with our DMOs rather than them just simply outsourcing it to us. It's important to share in that ownership and responsibility what the ultimate goal is of this. So we're not just trying to be third-party data analysts for them. We're really trying to be involved in the sourcing of data, trying to find data sources that we can collect that they can't, and ones that they can collect that we can't.
And analysing that together to try to find what the key performance indicators you really need to measure and what's the best way that we can analyse it, and visualise it for you so that you can really mobilise it and make the best decisions. You can't just outsource that and not have any part of it and then just look at the dashboard or the output or report that you get. You really need to be involved in the entire process.
That's a great way of looking at where maybe that sweet spot between working with a partner, and doing everything in-house yourself is because as we spoke about at the beginning, there are maybe broad data skills which need almost a complete upgrading of everybody's knowledge and understanding. Perhaps there are even specialist areas where those technical skills and knowledge are really required because it's something that concerns the DMO continuously throughout its evolution. But at the same time, there are many areas which are somewhere between the two. And it seems like this partnership working approach with contracted partners could present really interesting opportunities to have a sort of hybrid approach.
Do you see that as something, or have you experienced that as something that can work on a long-term basis it seems for that to be viable, it needs to be both, affordable long-term and on the other hand, integrated in such a way that it's a trusted partnership for as long as it remains trusted?
Yeah, definitely. I think it can be more of a long-term approach because really in the end it does seem to be more affordable for those that don't have the capacity, especially smaller DMOs to hire a full data analyst and scientists team on board, they can hire externally. And really it's just the initial startup costs to build these tools. And a lot of it becomes sort of maintenance over time, and just continue working on finding the right sources, but it becomes more of a maintenance than it really does in a high ongoing cost. Just the partnership as, as it was mentioned sort of a long-term basis, I think works because you really are involved in taking ownership over the outcomes and the values and the views that the DMO wants as well.
Now that's quite interesting because Michelle's kind of framed it as something that can work, but it requires that investment still of attitudes of mindset of time. I think maybe also a level of knowledge and understanding from the outset of what you're getting into there is that initial cost. So this must be sometimes challenging for destinations to either understand that if you invest at the beginning, it's something you want to be committed to in the long run, but also to understand why perhaps it's a bigger front end cost, and it takes more resources to get something in place rather than something you just kind of outsource a quick analysis and you're kind of done with it. Do you find that, if we talk about developing capabilities around data and seeing more confident workforces within DMOs, do you find that from your experience there are some kind of initial roadblocks or hurdles to overcome to even get to that point?
We are in general a bit in a dilemma, living in a world where we need to deliver quick results. Where we are people are more and more used stakeholders are more and more used to get answers quickly. Building something up from scratch, taking time and having an initial investment, in the beginning, is something we very rarely see, especially in destinations, understandably for many reasons, because you are working in a framework of many times political. And if those are changing on a regular basis, then obviously there is this repetitive work needed of explaining, convincing, educating and finding the supporters that you need for those types of projects.
So that itself is a big roadblock. Then the fine balance to decide how much you want to have internally and externally, and if you want to have it more internally or with a great partnership in the long term on the side - how do you then attract the people in a sector where we usually don't pay very well at the technical level compared to other industries right now who are needing that kind of profile data profiles. So there's lots of movement going on right now in that world. So just being able to attract and retain that talent is a big challenge in itself as well.
Now you're both two very successful women who are really making an impact and carving out your own niche space and reputations. So I have huge respect for both of you, but help us understand a little bit about this gender balance, the question looks like if we think about both tourism as an industry, but also then if we nuance down to data, as a kind of technology related industry. What's your personal experience been, and I guess what would your observation be today where there's still a need for change? And sorry, this is quite a few questions in one, but how might we actively work to address that as well?
I've been very fortunate to be mentored by and work alongside some remarkable women within the field of tourism and even in data as well. I think it's really important that we continue to collaborate rather than compete just in general within the industry, by sharing knowledge, experience skills and opportunities with each other.
I think it also starts in our schools. So encouraging girls to join data and tech-related electives and extracurriculars in our high schools and elementary schools and to take university and college programs that are within the hospitality and those courses that are within information technology. And just the way we talk about it in general, because these tech jobs and data-related jobs do tend to be a bit more male-dominated, just changing the way that we speak about it in the language to be a bit more gender neutral.
I can only support what Michelle was just saying. I think, besides the gender balance in itself, I guess to this whole data world was a little bit different than Michelle's, for example, because I came in there later, right? I specialised first in destination management and in sustainability. And then as time was moving on, because that was already 10 years ago and there was the topic of big data wasn't really a part that we talked about much. It was more statistics and traditional insights.
But as time was going on and we had more and more data sources, being able to have, it doesn't matter if you are a female or male, but having the environment where you, when you have that curiosity and you see that this is something you are interested in and that would make sense for you have the ability to add that to your current skillset, which I think is fundamental and where we are, where we are heading because we won't have enough people just coming out of universities and having those skillsets, right?
It's a lot about transferring and having people move from one area to the other and just adding to it. So that itself, I think there are by now many great also programs that focus, especially on women. But I find it almost an issue of, especially in the future being able to transfer and use skills that have been there before and adapt them to what we need.
So two really slightly different perspectives there. And Michelle, from your perspective, I think you really talk about the attractiveness of the sector as a kind of career path. So really pursuing data and being encouraged and seeing the appeal of it, that this is actually a really interesting career path to go down and I guess Birka talking a bit differently there. It's really interesting to see that perspective about evolving skills and taking sometimes really valuable experience and knowledge and quite intricate understanding and then being able to almost kind of augment that by continuing to grow and continuing to learn.
So yeah, these are two really interesting perspectives. Well, if we maybe take as kind of one wrap-up point here, what I would love to get your candid opinion on is thinking about DMO, because we do a lot of work with destinations.
We talk a lot about the work that they're doing. And in fact, today we've been talking about how destinations can invest in the right capabilities, whether they're insourced or outsourced. And what I would love to know from each of you is if destinations can take one bold action to radically change how they approach development and developing people, what action would they take?
And Michelle, I'm gonna throw maybe a curve ball to you to just ask also an additional question. At the moment, you're working in a specialised company that's giving you the opportunity to perhaps play and really develop in an area that you love. What is missing in a DMO that perhaps doesn't quite make that such a playground that could be that it seems like you really enjoy the space you're in right now, and how can a DMO make that environment competitive? So who wants to go first on that? It's a big question, so you might need a second to think about it.
I'll try to go first. I'm a bit biased because I'm coming from the perspective of that external data insights company. So I think one big step that DMOs could take is to partner with organisations like Clever Places. Because if you really don't have those resources internally, or even if you do, these external companies have their own resources, their own partnerships with other data sources as well that can really work with any DMO of any size to try to build up their data driven decision making processes.
So it's really a partnership working together and it really can be quite affordable in the long run. I think if DMOs also do have those internal resources, it's just shifting the priority towards knowledge management, really building that into the responsibilities and the day-to-day operations of a DMO rather than looking at it as an external sort of silo or responsibility on the side.
And maybe before we head to Birka for the same question, what would it take a DMO to create a super attractive workplace for someone who loves data?
A super attractive workplace. I think there needs to be a lot of opportunities like Birka mentioned earlier, for growth and development and training within that area. So encouraging people that are interested in it within the DMO or externally to wanna be part of that side of their organisation.
Also just offering competitive pay and benefits. Birka also mentioned that it can be a bit challenging for some, especially smaller DMOs, to have those resources, but I think that can really make it more of a long-term career path for someone that is within those roles. I think also the main point would be encouraging these individuals to be part of the entire decision-making process. Rather than just having them build the lead up to the decisions, have their part of the analysis, the aggregating the data and the building of these decisions and working together as a group rather than just being someone else within the organisation. They're part of the whole process.
Fascinating. And I think that that last point in particular, maybe goes against the natural feeling for a DMO to maybe take someone in right to that level and see what they can share and what they can bring and perhaps the kind of stiffness sometimes of that governmental environment makes that quite tricky to be so fluid and so loose about saying, Hey, yeah, let's see what you can show us and let's give it a chance. Have that kind of flexibility to do that. Very interesting. Thanks, Michelle. So what about from your perspective, Birka?
Yeah, I share the aspect with Michelle in saying, you know, be realistic enough and know your limits and find good partnerships that you can trust over time and that you can build in the long run because no one is gonna make it on their own reality, with all the challenges and all the insights we need, and need to solve. However, I am also a big advocate for building skills internally and because I think that gives a certain power in the DMO, obviously that comes with the challenges of having to keep people in there and offering those opportunities that Michelle just said. And, you know, being an attractive workplace where you want to stay for a longer time. I think there is a bit of a challenging balance that everyone needs to find.
One really important thing, I think right now we are still in a bit of a trial phase now of everyone is kind of trying their own approach. There's a lot of different kind of approaches going on in destinations, and I think one of the really important things is to exchange up to that granular level of, hey, what has worked and what has not worked for you, with other destinations because we do have conferences and we do have workshops but we hardly ever have those really honest conversations about, you know, we've tried this and that didn't work, we tried that and that didn't work, but you know, we found this to be a hopeful seed of continuance in the work, I guess. I think those honest conversations we need to foster much, much more to find that and to help every DMO to find that balance.
I think, in terms of the super attractive workplace, besides what Michelle was mentioning, we are not using enough because what it comes down to is all the industries right now are trying to find how they can be the most attractive organisations and how to get that very demanded profile.
So if at one point we're getting to a point where all of the organisations have, for example, they all offer people to work from wherever they want, they give 'em as much flexibility as they want now, and we get to this optimum of, you can't almost improve the kind of the benefits that you give everyone. What does distinguish our industry compared to a pharmaceutical industry or, you know, to whatever automobile or whatever, and that really is tourism, right?
We work in one of the greatest industries in the world and we are not using this as a kind of attractive point to get the experts that we need. If someone has the chance to decide between a pharmaceutical and a tourism workplace, maybe don't pay that much. We need another very important kind of attractive driver that gets those people to us. I hope if we're using that a little bit more in the future, I hope with that we'll have a bit of better chance to get that talent into our organisations.
Absolutely. And that seems to go as well with the passion and the excitement about the industry we're working in, and even if we touch on some of the aspects related to sustainability in communities and the fact that tourism can also improve communities and change lives is something that can be really motivating.
So I think that's a really interesting point. We perhaps almost don't tap into the emotive side of things as well. Well, it's been really interesting discussing this with both of you and I value very much your different perspectives on this because I think we really have kind of these two quite different backgrounds that you both are bringing to this. And we see this same topic from different angles. And I think for me that what's been really interesting especially is to see the urgency to develop the internal capabilities and the challenges sometimes in doing that.
For reasons which don't always make sense, DMOs can be slow-moving machines, let's put it like that. The opportunity to go quicker within DMOs if the culture's right, but also to be quicker by being smart with partners who can quickly tackle sometimes really complex issues and help us get a much better understanding and perhaps even spark that culture for more internal development.
So thank you to both of you and thanks, especially to Birka for guiding us through this three-part series where we've had some fascinating discussions, we've gained a lot of perspectives and we've certainly been able to unpackage data from that destination development perspective and see both the opportunity, but the many hurdles and barriers we still need to work to overcome. I guess maybe to give you the closing Birka, what would you say destinations have to do to completely redefine themselves? Should we be looking at the marketing and brand role as something that's sort of from the past and a pre-pandemic notion, or do you see this as the future being something completely different and the role of the destination taking on an entirely new purpose?
Hmm. Yeah, thanks, Nick. And thanks in general for taking on all the ideas that I had and going along with that, it was a lot of fun so far, those three episodes. I think we all know that we cannot continue the way how we've handled, and developed our entire system until the pandemic. I think it is clear that we need to move into an entirely completely different model, where we have the social and environmental aspects much higher on the priority list.
Unfortunately, I don't think that's always entirely up just on the DMO, because it does require a complete system change, right? And that is also where the DMOs get their money from the stakeholders involved. I hope we're getting there. I think the change from destination marketing to management organisation, I think we're moving into an even further evolution of that management organisation. I don't know what we were gonna call it in the end, but it's definitely gonna be different hopefully in the future to tackle everything we need.
Great. Well, thank you very much. Thank you to you as well, Michelle. It's been great to have your contribution and input on today's discussion and we look forward to continuing this discussion at all of the opportunities that we have in front of us. I think we should really take note of what we discussed today, which is the need to have these honest conversations, so more honesty and maybe less presenting the story that we want to present and really focusing on what have we failed at and embedding that principle as perhaps the conversation starter for everything we discuss when it comes to development and the data that we can use to help us understand what's happening. Thanks very much to all of you and see you next time.
Well, that brings us to the close of this three-part series. Thank you once again to Birka Valentine for bringing together these three very interesting experts who have helped us to navigate this complex and challenging topic of data and sustainability. And thanks of course to Michelle Novotny for providing this really excellent insight on the importance of investing in people skills and capability. And not only thinking about sustainability but also thinking about the sustainability of our data-driven approach. This is also a really important question. Well, as we now have reached the close of this three-part series, we look forward to 2023 where we'll be continuing Leading Tourism's Transition with some really interesting new series. And we'll be starting off early in the new year with the next series, in which we'll be looking at foresight in tourism. How important is it to look forward and to have a sense of vision as we embrace visioneering and we start to imagine perhaps what the future might look like?
We'll be joined by Birthe Menke. She's a PhD fellow in sustainable tourism development at the University of Southern Denmark, who as BCA has been guiding us through this last three-part series. Birthe will be then guiding us through the next three-part series where we will be hearing from a new set of perspectives on how foresight can play a really key role as we start to recreate the future for tourism. And we start to imagine what a positive impact in fact might look like. So thank you for joining and we look forward to bringing you the next series very soon.
In this episode, we'll be exploring which capabilities we should invest in to help us to achieve a sustainable data-driven future with Birka Valentin and Michelle Novotvy, two experts in the industry.
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The Gives Back team is really looking forward to fun, inspiring, and giving opportunities in 2010 as we spread positivity through service.
Welcome to our monthly "The Good in Giving" newsletter, we'll share upcoming gives back event options with you, a Giver profile to get to know the Giving Team better, and comments on past events to let you know what people get out of giving. This is your team, your newsletter, so let us know how we can serve you to be the very best Giver. We're always looking for new giving opportunities and people who would love to lead them, participate in them, so share…share…give…give. I am excited to give with you in 2010 and getting to know you each better.
1. I volunteered at these PF events: I have volunteered for free hugs…this is an ongoing source of joy, senior bingo…what a blast this was as I met and served the legendary Ronnie Whoo (Chicago Cubs most famous fan over the last 30 years), I volunteered at the St. Benedicts Church serving the homeless on both Thanksgiving and Christmas and on January 9th of this year I'll be serving at the food kitchen.
2. I volunteer because my soul recognizes at a very deep place that life is about helping out our fellow man, especially to those who are less fortunate than I am. I have always been someone who likes to help others out in small ways but recently I have awakened to a place of higher consciousness that recognizes I'm able to serve a lot more than I've been willing to in the past. I am committed to continue to give back and volunteer on a regular basis. It's fun, fulfilling and very rewarding to know that I've made a positive impact on someone's day.
3. My favorite volunteer experience has always been free hugs! For anyone that's had an opportunity to do this event they know how much fun it is to give and receive the beautiful energy and higher vibration that is exchanged in a genuine hug. However, I would have to say that my favorite volunteer experience was feeding the homeless people at St. Benedict's church on Thanksgiving and Christmas. My spirit soared to levels unimaginable as I had an opportunity to serve people who didn't have all of the things that I have. With no home, no family and no food the people that I served truly appreciated and warmly received my service to them. I felt appreciated in a way that I hadn't experienced before.
4. When not volunteering, I like to: I am committed to building my personal coaching business. This is a new venture for me that commenced November of 2009. I have felt the calling and am moved by spirit to help individuals move through transitional phases of their life. As I continue to grow, transform and change myself from the inner work of my spiritual practices it allows me to become a beacon of light and love to support others.
I also enjoy being in the outdoors when the opportunity arises. I'm all about having fun experiences which can be anything like walks in nature, bike riding and walking along the lakefront, musical events at Millennium Park, art fair's, festivals, museum visits and just about anything that relates to exploring and learning about life.
5. You might be surprised to know that I enjoy meeting new people all the time and look to create a spiritual family of like minded souls.
Wonderful experience! People were in a great holiday mood.
Free Hugs was absolutely INCREDIBLE! I had the best time of my life today giving Free Hugs and sharing some love, just because! The location was perfect and the weather was not that bad. I have never hugged so many different people that I didn't know at one time in one place. The smiles, the laughter…it was truly a beautiful day. I am looking forward to participating in more Free Hug and other events in the near future.
Always so much fun to be with the fun PF group and sharing good cheer 🙂 With the added bonus of an awesomely fun Salvation Army Bell Ringer—it was a blast.
Lots of love share today! We kick off the holiday season right!
This was one of the single, most fulfilling days of my life!!! I celebrate life with family and made new friends!!!!!!! How sensational!!!
Free hugs was a notable success today. Goodwill, cheer, and holiday spirit were shared with all those participating. Many people passing by enthusiastically responded as positive energy circulated among us. It was an enjoyable experience, indeed, and the heartfelt love is now increasing exponentially.
Spreading Kindness One Hug At A Time.
PF joined the Free Hug movement in January 2008. How could we not as it fully aligns with our mission as well as ifun. It is our Gives Back anchor, mainly because a hug is the best example we can find that you get back what you give — when you wrap your arms around another person to let them know they matter, you get it back tenfold.
We hope you join us twice monthly and twice yearly for our global inititative of bringing world citizens closer together through the simple gesture of a hug.
About PF Gives Back: PF Gives Back positively allows people to live life to the fullest through serving others such as Free Hugs, Random Acts of Kindness, and volunteering for other social service agencies, and much more.
Gives Back Event Suggestions: We are always looking for great gives back event suggestions and people interested in being part of our gives back leadership team. Email us at pf@positive-focus.com and let us know what you have in mind.


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USA: FDA investigation after feed mix-up prompts potential BSE fears
Cattle have been quarantined in Texas while regulators probe the possibility that a feed mill violated federal BSE law by utilising meat and bone meal in livestock feed, running the potential risk of a mad cow outbreak. The Texas feed mill involved in the investigation has not been identified, but it apparently contacted the FDA last week upon realising that inadvertently some bone meal derived from domestic cattle may have been mixed by a bovine feed supplement, and notified the agency.
Cattle have been quarantined in Texas while regulators probe the possibility that a feed mill violated federal BSE law by utilising meat and bone meal in livestock feed, running the potential risk of a mad cow outbreak.
The Texas feed mill involved in the investigation has not been identified, but it apparently contacted the FDA last week upon realising that inadvertently some bone meal derived from domestic cattle may have been mixed by a bovine feed supplement, and notified the agency.
Regulators say the quarantine of around 1,200 animals from the nation's largest cattle-producing state is merely a precaution while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) carries out the investigation and deems whether they are fit for human consumption.
The FDA introduced BSE regulations in 1997, because many scientists believe that the disease is transmitted through animals ruminants in livestock feed. Some scientists also believe that eating beef from an animal with mad cow disease causes vCJD, a devastating human form of mad cow disease that has caused over 80 deaths in the UK and in Europe.
Inspections have suggested that the mill is not alone, and that many companies are not following the BSE labelling and record keeping rules. FDA officials are promising however to ensure the rules are fully observed, while authorities are still working hard to convince consumers that US cattle is BSE-free. A spokesman from the USDA commented: "With all of our surveillance over the last 10 years we have found no evidence of BSE in this country."
Despite the fact that test results are not yet clear, FDA spokesman Lawrence Bachorick reassured the public that none of the quarantined animals had eaten any of the potentially mixed up feed. And even if they had, they would not enter the human food chain.
And even if this happened, Linda Detwiler, senior staff veterinarian at the USDA, stressed that because the bone meal is derived from BSE-free domestically reared cattle, then none of the animals involved would have contracted the disease.
"We hope to resolve this issue sometime next week," added Bachorick.
Impact of Political Uncertainty on Consumer Anxiety - Trend Pulse, Consumer Insight and Brand Implications
New rules of reaching the consumer in a post-pandemic world
Innovation in Consumer: Botulinum toxin
New Food Marketing Regulations - Thematic Research
Pre- and Post-Pandemic Beauty Habits - Trend Overview, Consumer Insight and Brand Implications
BSE Ltd

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Denna historia är över 5 år gamla.
Canada Lost Over 600 Missing or Murdered Aboriginal Men
Results from an independent database that dates back to the 1950s.
av Martha Troian
2014 05 21, 12:00pm
DelaTwittraSnap
Bryan Blackstar with his niece, Moosomin First Nation, Saskatchewan. Photo via Ashley Blackstar.
Ashley Blackstar says her brother Bryan didn't want to be at the house party on the Moosomin First Nation, located in northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. In the early morning hours of February 2, 2014, he was beaten to death by two young men he considered friends.
"He was killed while he was passed out," says Blackstar. "What I heard was that he wanted to come home."
Blackstar attended the second-degree court hearings of the two suspects for as long as she could, but found the hearings too painful.
As tragic and brutal as the unfortunate death of Bryan Blackstar sounds, it comes as no surprise to Jen Mt. Pleasant. For the past nine months, the Six Nations journalist has been profiling cases just like Blackstar's. She has now compiled a database containing the names of over 600 missing or murdered indigenous men in Canada, going back to the 1950s.
In Canada, racial data is "actively suppressed" from law enforcement statistics. As a result, Stats Canada does not include race in their annual count of the country's homicides.
To collect the names of missing and murdered aboriginal men, Mt. Pleasant scoured the web for news stories. She has also used information from several police agencies and missing person's websites across Canada. Mt Pleasant even contacted relatives of the missing or murdered persons to confirm their ancestry.
In her database, categories have been created for those that have gone missing or been murdered. Mt. Pleasant says her database includes cases where no foul play was suspected, even accidental deaths or drowning. She said she included some of those names because family members often feel there is more to the story.
Listed in alphabetical order, Mt. Pleasant intends to expand the database to research deaths from the 1920s and 1930s.
Mt. Pleasant, who studied criminology in college, initially started her research on missing and murdered women and girls. "During my research I would come across a picture of a native male that had been murdered or have gone missing," she says, adding, "It seems that not a lot of attention is given to that (aboriginal men) and everyone is just focusing on the women."
Recently, the RCMP released a report citing 1,181 missing and murdered aboriginal women in Canada since 1980. The report concluded the total number of missing and murdered aboriginal women exceeded previous public estimates.
"With the (aboriginal) women, more often than not, there's a sexual component, there's a lot of sexual violence," says Mt. Pleasant. "I'm not finding that with the males, they're dying really violent deaths."
Ashley Blackstar and her family know this too well. Four days after the gruesome murder of her brother, the family visited the house where it happened. "There was blood splattered everywhere," says Blackstar. "His blood was on the ground, on rocks, splattered on the side of the house, and on the steps."
Cheryl Maloney, president of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association, says all these missing and murdered cases have more to do with race than gender: "Nobody has the numbers, nobody knows where to start," says Maloney. "It just seems our people are disposable in this country."
Maloney says if governments and agencies disclosed numbers based on race for men, like the recent RCMP report on missing and murdered aboriginal women, it would probably surprise the public. But in an email statement, Public Safety Canada says the department has no research projects planned this year on the topic of missing and murdered aboriginal men.
On the Moosomin First Nation in Saskatchewan, the family of Bryan Blackstar still mourns his death.
"He was a really kind guy, he wasn't the type to hurt anybody or cause anybody trouble," says Ashley Blackstar. "It hurts every day. I wish I could wake up and he could be there."
Opression
missing aboriginal women
Native women
Public Safety Canada
missing aboriginal men
Cheryl Maloney
Ashley Blackstar


RE in Lancaster Lane gives all children the opportunity to study Christianity and the other major religions of the world. The aim is to enable them to understand what is meant by religion, to form their own views and beliefs and to promote their moral and social development. Tolerance of the beliefs of others is a major issue in RE. Each year group has a focus question that underpins all the learning throughout the year.
We follow the Lancashire framework for Religious Education but if any parent has any serious concerns that this may clash with their own beliefs they should contact the head teacher in order to discuss the matter.
Main focus question: Where do we belong?
The content focus is on God's 'gift' as revealed in the birth of Jesus. Opportunities are provided for pupils to explore the Christmas story and celebrations. Pupils are encouraged to consider examples of gift giving in their lives.
The content focus is on the role of the Church in the local community. Opportunities are provided to explore the location and activities of a local church. Pupils are encouraged to consider their links with various communities.
This unit enables pupils to examine the Christian belief in Jesus as being God's perfect gift to the world.
The children will focus on the festival of Diwali.
Main focus question: What do people say about God?
The focus is on God incarnate in Jesus. Pupils have the opportunity to become familiar with aspects of the Christmas story and to relate human experiences of vulnerability, acceptance and rejection to the events surrounding Jesus' birth and events in their lives.
This investigation enables pupils to examine the concept of God as revealed through the Church community of believers from all races and nationalities who are committed to life lived in the spirit of Jesus. The focus is on belonging, sharing and learning within the practice of Baptism and in pupils' lives.
This investigation enables pupils to examine the concept of God through Christian belief in Jesus as the perfect expression of God, as The Christ; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on God as the source of New Life, with opportunities provided to explore Biblical accounts of events in Jesus' life and to relate these experiences and examples to the restoration of the relationship between God and humankind and to relationships and changes in pupils' lives.
This investigation enables pupils to examine the role of the Deity in Hindu tradition. The focus includes Brahman, The Trimurti, Family Traditions, Worship and Scriptures. Opportunities are provided to explore practice and beliefs associated with particular deities and the Trimurti. Pupils are encouraged to relate these to their behaviour and beliefs about God.
Main focus question: How do we respond to the things that really matter?
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief in a creator God who is active in the world redeeming it through God incarnate in Jesus. The focus is on the delivery of Good News and the fulfilment of His promise. Opportunities are provided to explore the nature of God's news and the response of humankind to it and for pupils to make links to their experiences of delivering and receiving significant news.
This unit enables pupils to examine the Church community of believers from all races and nationalities who are committed to life lived in the spirit of Jesus. The focus is on Christian celebration and response to the role of the Holy Spirit within the Church. Opportunities are provided for pupils to explore Pentecost and to link Christian responses to these celebrations to pupils' responses to important events in their lives.
This unit enables pupils to examine Jesus as the perfect expression of God; he is 'The Christ'; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on God as a source of power as revealed through the actions of Jesus. Opportunities are provided to explore the use of prayer in empowering Christians and to consider how pupils can be empowered to bring about change in their lives.
This unit enables pupils to examine how aspects of worship enhance Sikh practice and beliefs. The content focus is on God, The Guru Granth Sahib and Worship. Opportunities are provided to explore the role of the Gurdwara as a focus for worship. Pupils are encouraged to consider places and activities that enhance their lives.
Main focus question: Who should we follow?
This unit enables pupils to examine the Christian belief in a creator God who is active in the world redeeming it. The focus is on the presence of God incarnate in Jesus. Opportunities are provided for pupils to explore evidence of God's presence and humankind's response to this and to link this with consideration of evidence of and response to examples of significant presence in pupils' lives.
This unit enables pupils to examine the role of the Church as a community of believers from all races and nationalities who are committed to life lived in the spirit of Jesus. The focus is on the importance of founders and leaders with the study including examples from daily life, the example of the disciples and other Christians. Pupils will have the opportunity to develop their vision of qualities they value and wish to develop as a leader and follower.
This unit enables pupils to examine the Christian belief that Jesus is the perfect expression of God; he is 'The Christ'; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on the opportunity for salvation as exemplified in the life and teachings of Jesus. Opportunities are provided to consider the theme of salvation in a secular as well as religious context and to relate the possibility of salvation to opportunities for change in the lives of the pupils.
This unit enables pupils to examine the founding of the Sikh tradition and some of its spiritual leaders. The content focus is on God, The Gurus and The Guru Granth Sahib. Opportunities are provided for pupils to explore the example of Guru Nanak and the significance of the Guru Granth Sahib and to relate these to persons and values that are important to their lives.
Main focus question: How should we live our lives?
This unit enables pupils to examine the Christian belief in a creator god who is active in the world redeeming it. The focus is on the use of light to indicate the presence and qualities of God incarnate in Jesus. Pupils are encouraged to make links between the imagery and symbolism of light in the Christian context and significant events in their lives.
This unit enables pupils to examine the role of the Church as a community of believers from all races and nationalities who are committed to life lived in the Spirit of Jesus.The focus is on how the Church supports its members in living the faith. Opportunities are provided for pupils to consider examples that support life in the community and in The Church through the celebration of The Eucharist. Pupils will be encouraged to reflect on events in their lives that are shared and celebrated.
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief in Jesus as the perfect expression of God; he is 'The Christ'; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on sacrifice. Opportunities are provided for pupils to explore the focus as it is exemplified in the life of Jesus and other Christians. Pupils are encouraged to relate the beliefs and issued raised to matters of importance in their lives and to consider what influences their behaviour.
This unit enables pupils to examine organisations and practices that support Jewish lifestyle. The content focus includes God, Torah and The People and The Land. Opportunities are provided to explore the role of the synagogue and prayer and for pupils to consider their beliefs and how they influence their behaviour.
Main focus question: Where can we find guidance about how to live our lives?
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief in a creator God who is active in the world redeeming it. The focus is on 'purpose' as explored in daily life and as revealed in the events of the Christmas story and the fulfilment of God's covenant. Opportunities are provided for pupils to reflect on and respond to issues of purpose in their lives.
This unit enables pupils to examine the Church as a community of believers from all races and nationalities who are committed to life lived in the spirit of Jesus. The focus is the place of sacred books and literature in enlightening and supporting the Christian fellowship. Opportunities are provided to consider how people acquire authority and the authority and purpose of The Bible. Pupils will reflect on sources and forms of authority in their lives and how these guide their actions.
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief that Jesus is the perfect expression of God; he is 'The Christ'; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on 'revelation'. Pupils are encouraged to consider what they reveal about themselves and how this is achieved.
This unit enables pupils to examine the status and role of the Qur'an. The focus is on Tawid, Iman, Ibadah and Akhlaq. Opportunities are provided for pupils to consider how the Qur'an supports daily life. Pupils are encouraged to make links with issues of decision making and guidance in their lives.
Main focus question: Is life like a journey?
This unit enables pupils to examine the Church as a community of believers from all races and nationalities committed to life lived in the spirit of Jesus. The focus is on 'life as a journey'. Opportunities are provided to explore some aspects of change which occur as people travel through life outside of and within the Church. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on commitments they make at different stages of their lives.
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief that Jesus is the perfect expression of god; he is 'The Christ'; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on 'revelation'. Opportunities are provided to explore how relationships can be spoiled and Jesus' teachings on forgiveness. Pupils are encouraged to relate this to their relationships with others.
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief in a creator God who is active in the world redeeming it. The focus is on 'becoming' as revealed in lived examples and in preparations and qualities portrayed by participants in accounts of the Christmas story. Opportunities are provided for pupils to reflect on their development as members of humankind.
This unit enables pupils to examine Hindu stages of life. The focus includes Brahman, Atman, Moksha, the Law of Karma, Dharma, Yoga, Traditions and Worship. Opportunities are provided for pupils to consider their personal stage of development in their life journey.


Gartner, Inc. highlighted the top strategic Internet of Things (IoT) technology trends that will drive digital business innovation from 2018 through 2023.
Analysts discussed how CIOs can lead their businesses to discover IoT opportunities and make IoT projects a success during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, which is taking place here through Thursday.
The technology landscape for AI is complex and will remain so through 2023, with many IT vendors investing heavily in AI, variants of AI coexisting, and new AI-based tolls and services emerging. Despite this complexity, it will be possible to achieve good results with AI in a wide range of IoT situations. As a result, CIOs must build an organisation with the tools and skills to exploit AI in their IoT strategy.
The post Gartner reveals its top 10 strategic IoT technologies and trends at ITxpo appeared first on IoT Now – How to run an IoT enabled business.


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QB decision that doomed the Bears gets more attention this weekend
Andrew Seligman
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears went into the 2017 draft with their sights set on landing a franchise quarterback to serve as a building block for a struggling organization.
They could have chosen Patrick Mahomes. Or Deshaun Watson. They went with Mitchell Trubisky. And that decision remains a sore spot in Chicago.
The quarterback choice is getting even more attention there than usual with Trubisky and the freefalling Bears scheduled to host Watson and the Houston Texans on Sunday. It will be the first meeting as pros for the former ACC opponents — and another reminder of a decision gone wrong for Chicago.
General manager Ryan Pace traded up a spot to draft Trubisky out of North Carolina with the No. 2 overall pick. He passed on Mahomes and Watson, now two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Trubisky has regressed the past two seasons and is likely on his way out of Chicago after the Bears did not exercise their fifth-year option for next season.
One lingering question about that draft is why the Bears didn't seem to show much interest in Watson coming out of Clemson.
"I have no idea," he said. "I was just going with the flow and every process, and that's pretty much it. Honestly, I don't even know. Honestly, I wish I had more answers to that, but I don't."
Watson insisted he felt no extra motivation as he geared up to face the Bears, that there are no hard feelings. Fans in Chicago sure feel differently.
The Bears (5-7) are on a six-game losing streak, their worst since the 2002 team tied a franchise record by dropping eight in a row. Pace and coach Matt Nagy are feeling the heat, particularly after Chicago blew a 10-point lead in the closing minutes against Detroit last week.
The Texans (4-8), meanwhile, lost 26-20 to Indianapolis.
QB COMPARISON
Trubisky got benched during a Week 3 comeback win at Atlanta. He did not return to the starting lineup until a lopsided loss at Green Bay two weeks ago.
Trubisky committed three turnovers in that game, with Nick Foles sidelined by a hip and glute injury. He played better against Detroit, though a strip-sack deep in Chicago territory led to the Lions' winning touchdown.
Watson is second to Mahomes in yards passing. The two-time Pro Bowler has thrown for more than 300 yards in three straight games, though he went without a touchdown pass for the first time this season as the Texans lost.
"You know he was a winner coming from a winning program and he had a lot of experience and he was a dual threat guy that was able to throw the football but still beat you with his legs," said Nagy, hired off Andy Reid's staff in Kansas City in 2018. "Competitor and a winner was what you saw. ... I think when you go back and you look at a lot of different people, everybody had their own opinions."
Houston's Keke Coutee had a career-high 141 yards receiving last week in the team's first game since top receiver Will Fuller was suspended for violating the league's policy on performance enhancers. The third-year player had fallen out of favor with former coach Bill O'Brien and rarely played earlier this season, but has gotten a second chance under interim coach Romeo Crennel.
"I just kept my head up, continued to grind," Coutee said. "I know the person I am, so good things happen if you continue to work."
The Texans also got a big game from Chad Hansen, who set a career mark with 101 yards receiving in his first game since 2017. Hansen, elevated from the practice squad on Dec. 5, was sent back this week despite his big game. But Crennel said he could be back on the active roster again before Sunday's game.
STRUGGLING DEFENSE
The Bears ranked among the top 10 on defense for much of the season. They're now 15th overall.
Chicago got lit up for 460 yards by Detroit, with Matthew Stafford throwing for 402. And in Green Bay's romp the previous way, Aaron Rodgers threw for four TDs.
Inside linebacker Tyrell Adams hadn't made much of a contribution in his first four NFL seasons. But this year he's become a key member of Houston's defense with his work since stepping in for Benardrick McKinney after McKinney sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4.
Adams has started the last eight games and has had more than 10 tackles in five of them. He has 91 tackles this year, compared to 34 in his first four seasons combined.
GROUND GAINS
At least the Bears' ground game is perking up.
Chicago ran for 140 yards last week after gaining 121 against Green Bay. The Bears went seven straight games without reaching triple digits prior to that. David Montgomery had 72 yards and two touchdowns last week after running for a season-high 103 yards against the Packers.
© 2021 www.pjstar.com. All rights reserved.


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Trial hears de Grood likely suffering from schizophrenia before attack
The 24-year-old is nearing the end of a trial on five counts of first-degree murder
By The Canadian Press May 19, 2016
Clockwise from top left: Zackariah Rathwell, Kaitlin Perras, Lawrence Hong, Joshua Hunter and Jordan Segura. (Photo credit: Facebook, Aran Wilkinson-Blanc)
CALGARY — Matthew de Grood could remain in a secure psychiatric facility for years or indefinitely if he is found not criminally responsible for the deaths of five young people at a house party in Calgary two years ago.
The 24-year-old is nearing the end of a trial on five counts of first-degree murder.
He reported hearing voices telling him to kill and believed the end of the world was coming before he grabbed a knife from a kitchen in the northwest Calgary home and stabbed the victims to death.
Killed in the attack were Kaitlin Perras, 23; Lawrence Hong, 27; Josh Hunter, 23; Zackariah Rathwell, 21; and Jordan Segura, 22.
Two psychiatrists testified Wednesday they believed de Grood had suffered a psychotic break and was likely suffering from schizophrenia.
"He was not in touch with reality. It appears he was suffering different categories of delusions," said Dr. Lenka Zedkova, a psychiatrist at Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
"My opinion was he did not know what he was doing was morally wrong," she said.
A psychiatric review determined de Grood was fit to stand trial, because he understands the charges against him and is able to communicate with his lawyer.
If the defence succeeds in having de Grood declared not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder, his release back into the public is not guaranteed.
Dr. Alberto Choy, the director of forensic psychiatry at Alberta Hospital Edmonton, said individuals declared NCR are fully assessed within 45 days of being committed.
"The review board tries to determine whether he represents a significant threat and then try to determine a treatment plan…that both manages his risk, the safety of the community," Choy said.
"If a person remains a significant threat year after year when they're reviewed by the review board then they will remain under the jurisdiction of the review board."
Related reading: Families: 'All we ask is that you remember how they lived'
Choy said any release back into the public is done gradually and some who are allowed to live in the community can remain under supervision for years or even decades.
He also said the rate of recidivism for those released from psychiatric communities tends to be lower than an individual released from a regular correctional facility.
Zedkova said de Grood has shown some improvement since treatment but there is no guarantee he will fully recover.
Related reading: Statement from father of Matthew de Grood in April 2014
"The general notion is about one-third of people get better and have symptoms that are well-controlled. One-third of people remain at a steady level and a third of people are really treatment resistant," she testified.
De Grood's lawyer, Allan Fay, said his client has been receiving treatment since his arrest and realizes what happened two years ago.
"He's been medicated to the point that he is no longer delusional and that's the difference," said Fay.
"At the time this happened he was delusional. His psychosis was to the extent his view of reality was distorted but thanks to the medications he's received and the treatment he's received he now appreciates reality and what was happening."
FILED UNDER: Calgary stabbing Editor's Picks Jordan Segura Josh Hunter Kaitlin Perras Lawrence Hong Matthew de Grood Matthew de Grood trial Zackariah Rathwell


When four-star quarterback and current Alabama commit Taulia Tagovailoa visited Tennessee's campus for a couple days in mid-June this summer, he caused quite a stir among both the Vols' and Bama's fan bases. And he was asked about that visit and his commitment status with the Tide at Nike's The Opening Finals this weekend.
Per a report from AL.com, Tagovailoa spoke with reporters on Saturday, and they asked him if his visit to Tennessee meant anything and if the Vols were in the process of flipping his commitment.
According to Tagovailoa, Tide fans need not worry.
"Yeah, I'm 100 percent committed to Alabama," Tagovailoa responded.
Taulia is the younger brother of current Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Taulia's older brother burst onto the scene last year with Alabama during the National Championship game when he replaced starter Jalen Hurts in the second half and sparked the Tide's offense. Alabama scored all 26 of their points after Tua took over, and he completed 14 of his 24 passes for 166 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception against a stout Georgia defense.
Right now, Taulia is forging his own path. But seeing what his brother did in the title game and his career thus far at Alabama was one of the reasons he decided to go ahead and commit to the Tide back in April of this year.
"Just seeing my family happy and seeing what Tua did in the national championship and just seeing the work ethic over there and the environment over there," Taulia said when asked why committed to Alabama.
So if he is so committed to Alabama, then why did he visit Tennessee in the first place? According to Taulia, he and his family have a strong relationship with Vol head coach Jeremy Pruitt and new offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tyson Helton. And Taulia's father really wanted him to visit Knoxville.
As a junior last season, Tagovailoa completed 66 percent of his 435 pass attempts for 3,820 yards, 36 touchdowns, and eight interceptions for Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama. He also ran for 155 yards and five scores on just 30 carries according to Max Preps. He helped lead his school to 12 straight wins before falling to eventual Class 7A champion Hoover in the playoffs.
Taulia may say he's fully committed to Alabama still, but that won't stop Pruitt and his Tennessee staff from continuing to pursue him. The Vols will try their hardest to flip the younger Tagovailoa brother, even if he insists Alabama has his pledge.


For architecture and design nerds, this is as close as it gets to heaven. Just outside the German town of Weil am Rhein, furniture manufacturer Vitra puts together one of the 20th century's enduring classics, Charles and Ray Eames' Aluminium Chair. Inside the Frank Gehry Factory Building - part of a collection of specially created buildings and follies by a galaxy of architectural stars – a team of six hand-assembles 80 chairs a day, in much the same way as they did when production started in 1958. After a quick turn on the Vitra campus's 30-metre-high Carsten Höller slide, WIRED ventured inside to see how it all comes together.
The chair takes its form after the seat and back spreading bars are attached. The seat is clamped into the spreading machine where the aluminium frames are pulled apart with a force of 1.5 tonnes. An engineer then attaches the spreaders to the back and seat of the chair to hold this shape.
The seat cover is fixed on to the aluminium side frames. At this point, materials must be perfectly aligned or the whole chair will be asymmetrical and out of shape. The clever part is how the seat cover flips and twists inside out - a 1958 invention by Charles and Ray Eames.
The upholstery is produced by combining several fabrics with a high-frequency welder. First, the layers are placed in the machine and welded into shape under pressure, tension and heat. Next, plastic strips are stitched at each end of the cover to provide extra strength.
The chair is now given a sticker with details of the job number, the employee who worked on it and the production week. Finally, the upholstery is cleaned using a cloth and pressure cleaner. Eighty chairs leave the factory every day, all of which have a 30-year guarantee.


Veteran Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League bench boss Corey Bricknell has resigned as coach and general manager of the Elliot Lake Wildcats. Elliot Lake has lost five straight games and has a record of 9-16-2 through 27 games of the 2018-2019 season.
Meanwhile, Hockey News North has confirmed that Trevor Ritchie, who was Bricknell's assistant, will move up as co-coach and general manager of the Wildcats. As well, Gord Ouimet will help out as co-coach of the Wildcats in addition to his bench duties with the midget rep team in Elliot Lake.


The visualization strategy of small multiples (Tufte, 1983, 1990, 1997) is not merely the clever or ordered arrangement of similar and personable images; small multiples—purposeful compositions of similarly sized, repeated illustrations—contain a great deal more than the sum of their respective parts. The purpose of this study is to define a set of objectives and guiding tactics for using small multiples in the visual language of instructional designs. This study aims to (1) compile a targeted literature review cataloging the historical treatment of small multiples and their pedagogical and cognitive virtues and (2) analyze examples of small multiples usage in visual design artifacts to determine efficacious and expansive applications of this technique.
Stringham, Douglas B., "The Efficacy of Small Multiples in the Visual Language of Instructional Designs" (2012). All Theses and Dissertations. 3105.


Gorgeous two-story home features 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and 2-car garage on a waterfront lot. Maple cabinets and tile backsplash in kitchen. Loft and secondary bedrooms located upstairs. Covered patio in backyard.
Driving Directions: Go South on Beltway 8 turn right on Ft. Bend Tollway. Turn right on Hwy 6. Turn right on Vicksburg Drive. Turn left on Lake Shore Harbour Blvd. Turn left on Lake Shore Drive.
3815 Venosa Court, Missouri City, TX 77459 (MLS# 44263438) is a Single Family property with 5 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and 1 partial bathroom. 3815 Venosa Court is currently listed for $354,500 and was received on March 20, 2018. Want to learn more about 3815 Venosa Court? Do you have questions about finding other Single Family real estate for sale in Missouri City? You can browse all Missouri City real estate or contact a Coldwell Banker agent to request more information.


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Maersk posts mixed results
COPENHAGEN, February 8, 2017 – Maersk Group posted its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2016 on Wednesday, with its energy business delivering mixed results.
Maersk Oil returned to black, recording a profit of USD 477 million over the whole of last year. The results saw the division recover from a USD 2.15-billion loss in 2015. Over the fourth quarter of 2016, Maersk Oil made a profit of USD 230 million.
While the business was able to achieve entitlement production increases in Algeria and the US, the total number entitlement barrels dropped from 333,000 to 276,000 boepd over the fourth quarter, mainly on account of lower volumes in Qatar.
Measured over the full year, production came out at 313,000 boepd. Maersk Oil's projections for 2017 will be affected by its exit from Qatar's Al Shaheen field in mid-July, when Total will take over. As such, Maerks expects an entitlement production of some 150,000-160,000 boepd for the second half of this year, with the full-year volume expected to reach between 215,000 boepd and 225,000 boepd.
Maersk Drilling's performance was hampered by a USD 1.51-billion impairment charge related to deepwater operations, which was booked in the last quarter of the year. This resulted in a quarterly loss of USD 1.42 billion, the division's figures revealed. Full-year losses hit 694 million, compared with a USD 751 million profit for 2015.
Maersk Supply Service, too, had to book an impairment charge and as a result reported a quarterly loss of USD 1.11 billion. It also weighed on the unit's full-year results, which showed a USD 1.23-billion loss. Operations suffered from reduced offshore spending, resulting in oversupply.
While Maersk Tankers posted a USD 13-million loss over the last three month of the year, it nonetheless recorded a full-year profit of USD 62 million. That said, the result meant a 61%-year-on-year drop in earnings.


Talis Park… Luxury living, reinvigorated.
We all know a picture is worth a thousand words, and Dan Walsh has no problem coming up with those thousand words proving to you that Talis Park is the only choice for luxury golf living in Naples, Florida. However, Dan also knows when to be quiet and let Talis Park speak for herself. So let Dan save those 1,000 words for bragging about his golf game and check out our Talis Park Gallery.
Situated on three-acres, the Talis Park Lawn & Racquet Club opened in the fall of 2015. Here you will find 8 har-tru tennis courts, 4 bocce ball courts, a two-lane lap pool with clubhouse and beverage center.
An exemplary clubhouse that is the hallmark of Talis Park. Its grand courtyard and contemporary club amenities command attention. Vyne House has three dining venues, fitness studio, spa, locker rooms, card room, board room and more. It is spacious and open with expansive balconies facing the westward fairways.
Fiona's Cafe is open seven days a week and can start your day off right with paninis or power shakes. Feast on gourmet pizza or flatbreads from the gas-fired oven. Enjoy a quick sandwich and libation at Casa Cortese between Holes 9 & 10. The Perfect spot to overlook the golf course.
Staying Fit at Talis Park is a pleasure in the state-of-the-art fitness studio. You can't help but get fit surrounded by Precor exercise equipment including treadmills, total body machines, adaptive motion trainers, Tour de France bikes, fitness free weights and accessories. It also boasts purpose-built movement studio hosts. Take in a spinning, yoga, Pilates or dance program. For the active lifestyle Talis Park created a top notch fitness studio for all ages.
Nothing beats a refreshing swim or a day poolside at Talis Park. Relax with friends in a game of cards under the cabana, take in a few laps or enjoy your family in a fun-loving splash in the pool. Whichever is your preference Talis Park will fill your day with comfortable chaise lounges, umbrellas and pool towels. Nothing to bring but you.
63 listings match your search criteria.
Courtesy of Florida Realty & Co.


Sweden, November 2017 Impressionist photography utilizing intentional camera movement.
Sweden, October 2017 Impressionist photography utilizing intentional camera movement.
Sweden, August 2017 Impressionist photography utilizing intentional camera movement.


When your air conditioning isn't working in Florida, you'll get too hot fast! At Wimpy's, we know that air conditioning repair in Venice, FL is no laughing matter, so we'll try to get to you quickly, assess the issue, and get things repaired before you can get excessively warm. We'll always stay in contact with you, too, so you'll know what the plan is, how it progresses, and what, exactly, is going on.
If your air conditioner is old or it's more cost-effective to replace it, rather than repair it, we'll help you take care of that, too. We'll always be honest with you about what we think and what we would choose if we were making decisions for our own homes. Then, we'll give you time and space to think and help you execute whatever solution you choose. Note that some repairs regarding refrigerant are becoming more and more difficult and expensive, as the federal government had mandated that we stop using freon. We can help you navigate this process, too, and get the best solution for you and your family.
We'll handle your air conditioning repair in Venice, FL as fast as we can. In summer months, our techs are often booked out for days. We recommend that you test your air conditioner early in the season and call us at the first sign of a problem. That way, you won't have to wait for us in overly warm weather, wondering if your A/C will get fixed before you fry.
We want to help you live better through fast air conditioning repair in Venice, FL. Call us to get on our schedule today!


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Italo Bandini (15 April 1905 – 11 December 1978) was an Italian former professional footballer who played as a winger.

In 2013, he was inducted into ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame.

Career
He was bought from C.S. Firenze by Fiorentina to play the very first season of the newly formed club. He became the first player in the history of Fiorentina to get a red card. Baldini was sold after just one season, before being bought again in 1928.

Bandini then moved to Gruppo Sportivo Giovanni Berta in 1930 and Montevarchi in 1931.

Honours

Individual
ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2013

References

External links
 Italo Bandini at ATF-Firenze.it

1905 births
1978 deaths
ACF Fiorentina players
Association football wingers
Italian footballers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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