The parking lot lights came on in the middle of the morning at Mizzou Arena at the University of Missouri, Columbia. “They’re on solar sensors,” said Tim Hickman, deputy AD, just moments after he’d returned to his office from watching the total eclipse of the sun. The university bought 500 special glasses with the university logo and handed them out to staff, encouraging them to watch the eclipse. Columbia was smack dab in the Solar Eclipse Path of Totality.
My brother, also the beneficiary of a front row seat for the total eclipse, sent a photo from Raleigh, N.C., he and his dog with special glasses. The Venues Today staff wandered outside and borrowed glasses from others in our office building to take a peak at our 60 percent eclipse. We didn’t get the full effect. For once, California wasn’t the epicenter of events, but who cares? It was still a great excuse to get outside and enjoy nature’s wonder.
A once in a lifetime, total solar eclipse was also a nice break from the August headlines on terrorism, political division and violence. I had the chance to interview Bill Bratton for our focus on security and crowd management (see page 38). The former commissioner of not only the New York Police Department, but also the Los Angeles Police Department, and now a consultant to many, said our best defense is intelligence.
Monitoring social media for threats against an event or venue has proven to be one of the best preventative measures available in this ongoing war on terrorism. Who would have imagined 10 years ago that Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram would be at the forefront of war efforts. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
We also take a look at the huge growth of comedy in the past few years (see page 29). Jokesters are filling arenas now, or playing multiple days at theaters. I watched the Dave Chappelle specials on Netflix, which have had a huge impact on ticket sales for his current tour. Edgy, funny, politically incorrect, controversial. Everything that is Facebook today; society in general, it seems.
Today’s information highway has no rules of the road, no lines for lanes, no licensed drivers, and very few toll booths. It’s just a big, old free for all with a global audience seeking confirmation of preconceived notions and collaboration with like-minded folks.
You are what you read. What used to be the purview of newspapers, magazines and television, has been completely disrupted by social media. And it’s frighteningly easy to search for personally agreeable viewpoints.
And that’s why it’s such a valuable tool against terrorism. Just Google it. You can search Facebook for people, posts, Pages, groups and apps. Facebook search is probably one of the most powerful, under-used features in social media. Or is it?
God grant you many years to search for truth.
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FROM THE EDITOR
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