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Editor's Note: This article is part of a series spotlighting the Democratic Republic of Congo as elections get underway on 28 November.
Story highlights
Virunga National Park in the DRC is inviting tourists on overnight treks to see an erupting volcano
Eight volcanoes are found in the vicinity of the national park but only two are currently active
Surrounding wildlife, like the endangered mountain gorillas, are out of harm 50 km away
Spewing red hot lava 300 meters in the air, an erupting volcano in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is turning the war-torn African country into an unlikely tourist destination.
Tourists have been visiting the Virunga National Park on overnight treks and in increasing numbers to witness the latest lava eruptions from the volcano, which have been flowing since November 6.
Mount Nyamulagira is considered to be the most active volcano in the area and for $300 each, around 60 to 70 volcano fans have been traveling an hour from the eastern city of Goma to the start of the trek at the Virunga National Park.
With the aid of the European Union, Virunga National Park has been a driver in boosting tourism to eastern Congo over the past few years.
Tourism officials predict that visitor numbers at Virunga National Park will rise to nearly 4,000 this year – up from 1,800 in 2010, while Africa's oldest national park is expected to raise over $1 million in revenue for the first time in its history, according to a report in the International Business Times.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is home to eight national parks, five of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as being home to many endangered species, making it ripe territory for eco-tourism.
However statistics on the country, which has been embroiled in civil war since 1998, are grim reading. It is a place where women are systemically raped, children are forced to fight as soldiers and most people struggle to survive on less than $2 a day.
But the volcano's proximity and its vivid colors are worth braving the rough terrain for, according to one of the first people to visit the area.
"We really wanted to go in," says Ethan Kinsey, a tour operator from Tanzania who was in one of the first overnight volcano treks. "(National park wardens) had to assess the safety of it and then we hiked in immediately."
On the northern side of the volcano, participants can watch lava spew out of the Earth from a tented camping site 1.5 kilometers away, which has been deemed safe by a volcanologist.
Kinsey says: "Where you look across at the volcano, there is nothing between you and it except a few piles of rock. It is really quite dramatic.
"You really don't know what is happening underneath (the ground) – it could just blow up. But it seemed like pretty regular explosions."
Kinsey traveled into the national park with two friends and recommends staying overnight.
"The colors are so much more vivid … It really is beautiful. We slept with our tents open so we could see it, and the tents face the volcano so we could see the explosions in the night."
Orphaned gorillas find a safe haven
Kinsey says he felt very at ease while on the trek despite the warnings about the region.
"There are a lot of people walking around with guns, a lot of people walking around with AK-47s, carrying rocket launchers … But obviously, if the national parks are confident that they can provide a safe experience then it's safe," he says.
"The rebel activity that is causing instability is not targeted at tourists. It is not really targeted at the rangers either. I felt safe."
He added: "I think that there will be a lot of interest (in volcano trekking) so now I just have to spread it out and get it out there that we can do this."
The impoverished central African country also made its debut at the World Travel Market in London in September this year, signaling to the world that it means business when it comes to boosting tourism revenue.
In its efforts to promote tourism, the DRC government, in conjunction with the Institut Congo pour la Conservation de la Nature (Congolese Wildlife Authority), has recently launched a tourism visa that can be obtained online through Virunga's website for $50.
DRC borders Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda at the junction of the Rift Valley Lakes region, but despite the country's more varied biodiversity, Uganda and Rwanda generate more revenue from the gorilla tourism trade, because of the instability in the area according to analysts EuroMonitor.
Many governments currently warn their citizens against traveling to the Democratic Republic of Congo due to extreme security risks as a result of continued military activity.
However, GoCongo, a tourist operator in the area, describes the DRC as a place of adventure.
The company wrote on their website: "No one goes there to rest and sit in a chair for a couple of weeks. Congo is an experience and asks for active people … If you really need (five star) lodges, whisky on the rocks and your 20-channels television, please go somewhere else."
National park experts are unsure how long the volcano will continue to erupt, spraying vibrant lava and rocks into the sky.
The Virunga National Park, a World Heritage site has eight volcanoes that spread across the Virunga mountain range, but only two are currently active. The 7,900 hectare site is also home to critically endangered mountain gorillas.
"The area where the eruption is taking place is an area that has been affected by eruptions for around two-and-a half-years … Our mountain gorillas don't live in that area. They are about 50 kilometers away so they are completely untouched," says Virunga National Park development officer Cai Tjeenk Willak said.


text:
* bugfixes (geoscape/battlescape)
* video mode configuration / filters
* 1750 engineers
* 1750 scientists (~250 limit per project)
* alien grenade w/proxy (activate prime 23)
* auto sell manufacture enabled by decrease zero quantity (1111)
* allocate all scientist by decrease zero quantity
* allocate all technician by decrease zero quantity
* manufacture 'ingredients' removed at time of production
* idle engineers contribute to assembling base facilities (25/day)
* geoscape time
details are included in the zip
'click' bug fixed.
average filter at 640 4x0 fixed.
outstanding reaction bug et al.
added 3x edge filter (for 1024*768 resolution) etc.
requires registry configuration.
Have fun!
Attached Files
Edited by Micah, 08 July 2009 - 08:51 PM.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The following sections provide guidelines and additional references for using transactions in RMI applications that run under Oracle WebLogic Server:
Before you begin, read Chapter 2, "Introducing Transactions," particularly the following topics:
For more information about RMI applications, see Programming Stand-alone Clients for Oracle WebLogic Server.
The following general guidelines apply when implementing transactions in RMI applications for WebLogic Server:
WebLogic Server allows for flat transactions only. Transactions cannot be nested.
Use standard programming techniques to optimize transaction processing. For example, properly demarcate transaction boundaries and complete transactions quickly.
For RMI applications, callback objects are not recommended for use in transactions because they are not subject to WebLogic Server administration.
By default, all method invocations on the remote objects are transactional. If a callback object is required, you must compile these classes using the WebLogic RMI compiler using the -nontransactional flag. See "Using the WebLogic RMI Compiler" and "WebLogic RMI Compiler Options" in Programming RMI for Oracle WebLogic Server.
In RMI applications, an RMI client can initiate a transaction, but all transaction processing must occur on server objects or remote objects hosted by WebLogic Server. Remote objects hosted on a client JVM cannot participate in the transaction processing.
As a work-around, you can suspend the transaction before making a call to a remote object on a client JVM, and then resume the transaction after the remote operation returns.
For general guidelines about the WebLogic Server Transaction Service, see Capabilities and Limitations.


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No. The charm has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with the charmer waving a pungi, a reed instrument carved out of a gourd, in the snake's face. Snakes don't have external ears and can perceive little more than low-frequency rumbles. But when they see something threatening, they rise up in a defensive pose. "The movement of the snake is completely keyed in on the guy playing the toodley thing," says Robert Drewes, chairman of the department of herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles) at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. "He sways, the snake sways."
Drewes studies how animals respond to their own calls; his specialty is frogs. Frogs have very good ears, which makes sense, since airborne sound is vital to their procreation: A croaking male calls out to a female. Every call of every frog species is distinct, and Drewes can walk blindfolded into a patch of Kenya's Arabuko-Sokoke forest and identify 15 different species by listening to their calls. Female frogs have inner ears that are attuned only to the call of their species. He likes a deep, rich pitch, and when he plays the saxophone, he prefers his alto and tenor to his soprano. Although when he travels to Africa, he brings a soprano. "I hate the damn thing, but it fits in my bag," he says. What do the frogs think of his playing? "I can't answer that," he says. "The guy who really knows this stuff is Bernie Krause."
Krause is a musician and "soundscape ecologist" who has recorded with Stevie Wonder, the Doors and George Harrison (Krause worked on Harrison's album Electronic Sound, which credits Harrison's cat for performing on one side). "Some musicians have played music to killer whales or dolphins," he says, "and what happens is initially the critters that are being subjected to this appear to be curious and want to know what it is, where it's coming from." In 1985 he was part of a team that coaxed a lost humpback whale out of the Sacramento River delta with field recordings of other humpbacks feeding.
Krause says that although animals seem to respond to what we call music, how can we know what they think? "Birds bob their heads to beats, bonobos played keyboard with Peter Gabriel," he says, "but we're ascribing our attributes to animals. Show me animals appearing to enjoy music that aren't captive, that aren't looking for something to alleviate the boredom." Krause says that we learned our music from the natural world, and in a few small pockets of the globe, groups of humans still sing with nature rather than to it. The Kaluli in Papua New Guinea, he says, "mix their voices in with the sounds of the forest, which is how we first learned polyphony"-singing with more than one voice. Snake charming also may have begun this way, singing and dancing with the snake. But that was thousands of years ago, before we knew snakes couldn't even hear that toodley thing.
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Powerful performance
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
This post originally appeared on Popular Science. Photo: John Downer/Getty Images.


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GC32 states: "What is it to be a Jesuit? It is to know that one is a sinner, yet called
to be a companion of Jesus." D 2,1
These words are echoed in the answer Pope Francis gave to the question "Who
is Jorge Mario Bergolio:
"The best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true
is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon." And the Pope repeats: "I
am one who is looked upon by the Lord. I always felt my motto, Miserando atque
Eligendo [By Having Mercy and by Choosing Him], was very true for me."
This is our truth too: God has turned, with all his mercy, towards me and is looking
upon me with pleasure. And I am freed to be a messenger of his mercy in the
midst of this world.
Dios misericordioso, no pasas por alto el pecado, pero nos dejas siempre abierto
el camino del retorno. Juzgas nuestras faltas, pero nos invitas a comenzar de
nuevo.Tedamosgraciasporqueeresmisericordioso.Danos la valentíaderetornar.
Danos la fuerza para comenzar de nuevo, que te pedimos por Jesucristo nuestro


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A Georgia woman is searching for answers after her 24 year-old son was found dead in Death Valley, California with several of his internal organs missing.
Iris Flowers' son Ryan Singleton (pictured) had left Atlanta back in July to pursue his dream to become a Hollywood actor. Sadly, the dream was cut short when he went missing during a trip to Las Vegas and eventually was found dead by joggers on September 21, in the desert near Baker, Calif.
Soon after, Flowers received the heart-breaking phone call about her son's body being discovered by local authorities, along with the strange details that his organs were missing.
"There were no organs," Flowers told FOX 5 Atlanta. "He said, 'Ma'am, there were no eyes, there was no heart, there were no lungs, there was no liver, there were no kidneys."
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office says there's no official cause of death for Singleton. "The body was severely decomposed. Animals might have been involved."
Flowers, however, isn't buying the idea that animals are responsible for her son's missing organs. "I don't know of an animal that comes to a body and just picks out certain parts of the body," said Flowers. "I don't think it was animal activity at all."
Flowers says her son left Atlanta in early July, traveled to Los Angeles in a rental car and then drove to New Mexico, Arizona and Las Vegas. Singleton's car was found in the Death Valley desert a few miles from Baker. Authorities say he was last seen at Baker gas station back in July.
Flowers has arranged for a friend of Singleton's to bring back his remains to Atlanta later this week.
Watch news video on Ryan Singleton's story below:
Atlanta Man Found Dead And Missing Organs In California Desert was originally published on newsone.com
Singer/Songwriter Bobby Caldwell Dies at 71
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Everything You Missed From Women's Empowerment 2023/Soul II Soul Tour!
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Alicia Keys: "Girl On Fire" [AUDIO]
Willis Reed, New York Knicks Legend, Dies at 80
Spice Announces Her Third Pregnancy: 'God Has Been So Good To Me!'


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Dana Milbank: Bush takes high road, refuses to bash Obama
Former President George W. Bush, on his recent trip to Africa, toured Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. He then sat down for an interview that may qualify as the eighth.
The man who started two wars abroad and introduced a new level of hostility to domestic politics spoke with ABC News' Jonathan Karl in Tanzania in a conciliatory and reflective manner that bore little resemblance to that of the divisive figure who left Washington in 2009.
In the segment, which aired Sunday, the 43rd president cautioned those who have been "overly critical" of gay marriage. He defended President Barack Obama against criticism that he hasn't devoted much attention to Africa, and he resisted an invitation to gloat over Obama's continuation of counterterrorism policies that he had created. Of most importance, Bush put in a plug for the comprehensive immigration legislation that is at the top of Obama's agenda but has divided Bush's Republican Party.
"I think it's very important to fix a broken system, to treat people with respect and have confidence in our capacity to assimilate people," said Bush, who failed to enact such reform.
For Bush, who has been under a self-imposed gag order for much of the time since he left office, this amounts to something of a re-emergence. It's likely not a coincidence that he's beginning to return to public view now that it's safer to do so: More Americans are forgiving, or at least forgetting, what they didn't like about him.
A Gallup poll last month found that, for the first time in his ex-presidency (actually, the first time since 2005), a plurality of Americans have a positive view of Bush. Forty-nine percent viewed him favorably, compared with 46 percent who viewed him unfavorably. This puts him on par with Obama and is a healthy recovery from the depths of the economic collapse in March 2009, when 35 percent viewed him favorably.
It's standard for former presidents to grow in public esteem as memories fade. In Bush's case, the war in Iraq is over, the war in Afghanistan is winding down and the economy is finally recovering. But Bush's rebound could be accelerated, particularly among Democrats, by the type of assist he gave Obama in the Karl interview.
That's in marked contrast to his former understudy, Dick Cheney, who in his retirement regularly and rudely denounces Obama. As The New York Times' Jonathan Martin reports, Cheney is now also antagonizing fellow Republicans by boosting a challenge by his daughter to Sen. Mike Enzi, a popular conservative in Cheney's Wyoming.
Bush was all bonhomie as he sat in a shaded garden with his wife, assuring Karl that he didn't talk substance with Obama when their Africa tours overlapped in Tanzania. "He's busy, and I'm retired," Bush joked. That's long been his official line. "The only way I can really make news is either criticize the president, which I don't want to do, criticize my own party or weigh in on a controversial issue," he told Karl. "And I'm off the stage."
But for a guy who's "off the stage," Bush had quite a few lines about the issues of the day. Earlier in his trip, Bush invoked a biblical admonition when asked whether gay marriage conflicts with Christian values: "I shouldn't be taking a speck out of somebody else's eye when I have a log in my own." Bush told Karl "it's very important for people not to be overly critical of someone else until you've examined your own heart."
Karl's interview had all the rehabilitative imagery Bush could want: clips of him in a T-shirt, painting a medical clinic in Zambia and dancing with the locals — and video of Obama asserting that Bush's devotion to Africa has meant "millions of people's lives have been saved."
Bush, never one to put himself on the couch, dismissed as "absurd psycho-babble" the notion that the good works he is doing in Africa is "to make up for mistakes you made in Iraq," as Karl put it.
But he seems to have grasped that his own place in history can be improved by generosity toward Africa — and magnanimity toward opponents. Asked by Karl about the criticism that Obama hasn't done much for Africa, Bush disagreed, saying that Obama "cares deeply" about the continent and that his administration "has been incredibly helpful."
With a laugh, Bush added: "It doesn't surprise me that presidents get criticized."
Dana Milbank is a columnist for the Washington Post.


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Mapwarper.net has finished maintenance work – I really should get rid of the beta sign now. Anyhow its running on a much faster site, courtesy of Topomancy.com. So performance should be better now. All user accounts and maps and points should have been transferred seamlessly.
I'm still configuring the mail server, so if new users when signing up are seeing mail in spam boxes, let me know!


text:
Journalists at the Denver Post demonstrated some excellent uses of Twitter in their coverage of the massacre at the Century 16 theater in Aurora, Colo., Friday.
I was planning to write about hashtags today in my #twutorial series on how journalists should use Twitter, but I've pushed that one back to next week. Breaking news is one of the most important ways journalists can use Twitter, and the coverage of the shooting illustrated several things individual journalists and news organizations should do in covering a breaking story.
Tweet the unfolding story
This was perhaps the strongest aspect of the Post's Twitter use during the shooting coverage. Several Post journalists tweeted from the scene of the theater, from where families waited for news about victims and from outside the suspect's apartment. Reporter Jordan Steffen explained in an email:
Twitter was the most efficient and fastest way to keep readers updated on both the atmosphere of several locations and new information streaming in. The ability to quickly share quotes from friends of victims and others at the make shift memorial kept my followers and the Denver Post readers in touch with how the community was responding to the shooting.
In addition, during media briefings Twitter served as a way to instantly send important developments and information to readers and staff back at the newsroom.
Reporter Kristen Painter elaborated:
When I was sent out to cover the developments at the shooting suspect's apartment Saturday morning, I live-tweeted the activities. This event was being closely watched by the national media, as well as the local residents. With such a massive emergency crew representation, everyone knew that this was the day that would begin the dismantling process of his booby trapped unit.
Turn tweets into stories
I hear questions occasionally from journalists who wonder why they would break news on Twitter instead of on their websites. It's not an either/or choice. The Post fed tweets into its news site using a ScribbleLive liveblog. The tweets also gave editors material to update stories, as Kristen explained:
Our news director, Kevin Dale, was the early morning editor manning the newsroom and he aggregated my tweets to create the unfolding story. Between my tweets, occasional phone calls or emails, and our online staff, we were able to continuously update the online story to give our readers a detailed timeline.
As Brian Stelter recounted after the Joplin tornado, journalists covering breaking stories can and should tweet their stories 140 characters at a time, producing a riveting narrative for the Twitter audience and giving editors back in the newsroom the notes they need to craft great deadline stories.
A side note: Clearly, many other journalists were covering this job and doing great work as well. I am focusing here on the work of my Post colleagues, but I'll recognize the work of others with this tweet from Stelter:
The last texts between Jessica Ghawi & her mom, minutes before she died this morning. twitpic.com/a9vfbk (via @Karina_Marlene @jjsimoncnn)
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 21, 2012
Crowdsourcing should be part of your approach to using Twitter in a breaking news story:
We are still interested in talking to witnesses of Aurora #theatershooting. Call 303-954-1300 or email email@example.com
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) July 20, 2012
Using search techniques I discussed two weeks ago, you can quickly find tweets from people who were present at the shooting and tweeted from the scene or shortly after evacuating.
@ZachAllStar I was at that movie theater! So scary
— Juliana (@JuJubee__13) July 20, 2012
Then you can reach out to those people by addressing tweets to them:
@JuJubee__13 If you have a moment, we would love to talk to you about what you saw tonight. Please call Chuck Murphy at 303-954-1829
— Chuck Murphy (@CmurphyDenPost) July 20, 2012
@sonowruhappy would you be willing to call us at 303-954-1829 ? Or DM me a number? Thanks.
— Chuck Murphy (@CmurphyDenPost) July 20, 2012
@denverpost Yes I was there. I watched him come in the door. He came in the right hand exit door near the very first row.
— Pam (@sonowruhappy) July 20, 2012
Post reporters avoided the reckless speculation about which of multiple people by the same name might be the suspect. Steve Myers of Poynter wrote about journalists who reported and tweeted irresponsibly when they didn't know yet who the suspect was.
You tweet the unfolding story, but you don't relax your standards of accuracy. Jordan explained:
I treat any information in my tweets like facts that I put in a story, they either come directly from a credible source — such as Chief Dan Oates — or people at the scene. All journalist standards and practices apply to every tweet.
Retweet and curate
Dan Petty, who doubles as the Post's social media editor and as Digital First Media's regional engagement editor, retweeted key tweets from his colleagues, both from his own account and from the Denver Post account:
RT @mboothDP: Dad Tom Sullivan shouting at gateway hs if you find my son Alex call me. Holding photo. It is his birthday #theatershootings
— Dan Petty (@danielpetty) July 20, 2012
Dan retweeted updates from other media outlets as well:
From the shotgun. RT @APkristenwyatt: ChildrensMedical doc: "Most of the injuries we saw appeared to be from buckshot." #theatershooting
— Dan Petty (@danielpetty) July 20, 2012
Dan has compiled lists of media Twitter accounts, which helped in sorting the journalists from the many people tweeting about the attack. "My local media lists and national media lists on Twitter were invaluable to finding information quickly," he explained in an email. "Following the hashtag #theatershooting proved very difficult."
You promote a lot of your own content on Twitter, but highlight valuable content from other sources as well. The point of tweeting links is not promotion, but serving your followers.
Powerful blog post from brother of @JessicaRedfield on family's experience in the #theatershooting bit.ly/LC560s
— Dan Petty (@danielpetty) July 20, 2012
Dan wasn't the only Post editor providing effective curation. "I think our assistant city desk editor, Dana Coffield, does an excellent job of aggregating tweets from various Post journalists – and other relevant media sources – through the process of retweets," Kristen said.
RT @IvanJourno: Micayla Medek's cousin: I hope that this evil act, that this evil man doesn't shake people's faith in God. #theatershooting
— Dana Coffield (@denpostdana) July 21, 2012
Use hashtags
Though Dan found the #theatershooting hashtag overwhelming for search purposes because of all the tweets using it, he and other Post journalists used the #theatershooting hashtag in their own tweets, helping them reach the larger audience following that hashtag.
Angi Carter of the New Haven Register pitched in on curation efforts (more on that below) and found the following hashtags being used: #Holmes, #Oslo, #RIPJessica, #RIP, #Aurora, #Colorado, #prayersforvictims, #moviemassacre, #Batman, #TDKR and #darknight.
Each time you find a hashtag in a tweet related to a breaking story, click to see whether it's helpful. Some will be used just once or a few times. Others might lead you to many helpful tweets. Use the hashtags with the location feature of advanced Twitter search and you can find tweets using the hashtag from near the scene (though not everyone enables location in their Twitter accounts, so you will miss some).
Update: In the comments, Gannett's Jodi Gersh credits @9news with creating the #theatershooting hashtag. Which prompts me to add this note to media: Don't try to use competing hashtags in a story like this. If one outlet starts a good hashtag like #theatershooting, other media should use it.
Check tweets of news figures
When people in news stories use Twitter, their tweets can provide clues to their personalities and their actions leading up to the news event you're covering. The final tweet of shooting victim Jessica Ghawi made a powerful closing quote for the Post's profile.
@jessespector MOVIE DOESN'T START FOR 20 MINUTES
— Jessica Redfield (@JessicaRedfield) July 20, 2012
Associated Press news editor Oskar Garcia wrote a story using tweets of the Aurora victims.
Livetweet routinely
You don't just start tweeting this effectively on a story this big. This kind of performance grows from routine use of Twitter on breaking stories. "I live-tweet any major breaking news story that I am assigned to," Kristen said. Jordan added: "I routinely use Twitter on breaking news assignments. Some examples of past coverage include the Lower North Fork Fire, the Waldo Canyon Fire, Occupy Denver and several other daily assignments."
Livetweeting builds audience
Livetweeting a breaking story boosts followers for staff Twitter accounts and drives traffic to your main site (without needing to throw a link into every tweet). Kristen explained:
In four hours, I gained 100 new Twitter followers because the nature of the story of was so suspenseful. It drove national traffic to a.) my Twitter account, and b.) denverpost.com.
Follow the story
Each reporter is covering one piece of a story this big. Twitter helps you keep up on the whole story, as Kristen explained:
Since I was so consumed in my "corner" of the story, it was hard to keep up with what was happening at the other locations and what new developments the Post had uncovered. I ended up relying quite heavily on both my colleagues' and the @denverpost Twitter feeds to keep myself informed so that I was constantly afloat to the large picture story.
Post journalists' tweets
I've gathered a sampling of the hundreds of tweets from Post journalists in covering this story of the weekend. These are tweets from the Post's Ryan Parker, whose Twitter bio says he is "More Peter Parker than Spider-Man." We'll start with one from the afternoon before:
#Denver-area fans line up for new #Batman flick, $100 asked for scalped tickets: bit.ly/NVSXis #darkknightrises
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 19, 2012
Been at the theater since 2:30 a.m. Working #batmanshooting. Aurora officer just told me he rushed 5 to hospital in patrol car
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
One witness said they saw an officer carrying a small, lifeless girl, maybe 9 from scene following shooting.
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Witness told me shooting started at time of shooting scene in new Batman, as if gun man/men knew the movie. It opened tonight.
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Just overheard from officials: "Think this will be worse than Columbine?" #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Heading back with rest of media. I was close to scene, very close. Saw clothes with blood laying on ground, popcorn spilled everywhere.
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Bomb squad robot out, ready to search more cars in parking lot. #theatershooting twitter.com/ryanparkerdp/s…
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Currently at back of theater. Pile of what looks like clothes and appears to be a clip from a gun on the ground near doors. #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
FBI paying a lot of attention to white car in back of theater near rear doors. #theatershooting twitter.com/ryanparkerdp/s…
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Aurora police officer just told me coroner is on scene. Bodies will be removed. #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
With high-powered lenses, can make out a combat helmet, duffel bag, clip for gun and some sort of vest in rear of theater. #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Police say 12 dead, 71 shot in #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Pictures of white car I tweeted earlier are in fact suspect's car. #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
Police say James Egan Holmesborneo 12/13/87 is only suspect at this time, had no prior record other than speeding ticket. #theatershooting
— Ryan Parker (@ryanparkerdp) July 20, 2012
More tweets from breaking news reporter Jordan Steffen:
News briefing in shooting that left 12 dead in an Aurora movie theater underway.
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
"It's an act that defies description," says Gov. Hickenlooper of shooting in Aurora. #Theatershooting
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
Total of 70 injured and 12 dead in #Theatershooting. Bodies were removed from theater earlier this afternoon, according to police.
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
Suspect in #Theatershooting purchased more than 600 rounds of ammunition on the Internet, police say.
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
Police say it appears that all the guns and ammunition owned by suspect in #Theatershooting were owned legally.
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
One little girl wanted to "send a prayer" when she dropped off flowers this morning in Aurora. #theatershooting twitter.com/jsteffendp/sta…
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
"We're still reeling," says Aurora mayor. #theatershoooting
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 21, 2012
People are signing a banner, leaving messages for victims and community members. #theatershootingtwitter.com/jsteffendp/sta…
— Jordan Steffen (@jsteffendp) July 22, 2012
Tweets from Kurtis Lee:
Suspect's #Aurora apt. is evacuated for possible explosives. No word on where the apartment is located. @denverpost
— Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) July 20, 2012
Male witness just exited Gateway h.s. and got into police car. Gray shirt covered in blood. Tears clearly visible in eyes. #theatershooting
— Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) July 20, 2012
Alex Sullivan-27. His dad can't get hold of him. Has anyone seen him? #theatershooting @denverpost yfrog.com/oeahpecj
— Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) July 20, 2012
"It was just shocking, I'm still just shocked." -Lin Gan, 22, who was insidetheater 9. #theatershooting@denverpost
— Kurtis Lee (@kurtisalee) July 20, 2012
Tweets from Kirk Mitchell:
Denver police bomb squad arrives at apartment of theater shooter.
— Kirk Mitchell (@kmitchellDP) July 21, 2012
Vehicles from metro bomb squads arrive on block where alleged aurora shooter lived twitter.com/kmitchellDP/st…
— Kirk Mitchell (@kmitchellDP) July 21, 2012
Windows broken on top floor of apartment building of alleged aurora #theatershooter twitter.com/kmitchellDP/st…
— Kirk Mitchell (@kmitchellDP) July 21, 2012
Swarm of bomb expertsstage for breach of #theatershooter home twitter.com/kmitchellDP/st…
— Kirk Mitchell (@kmitchellDP) July 21, 2012
Tweets from Kristen Painter:
Boom!! Two warning horns and the controller detonation has happened. #TheaterShooting
— Kristen Painter (@KristenPainter) July 21, 2012
The bomb crews are taking out evidence and what may be devices forHolmes' apt. now. #TheaterShooting
— Kristen Painter (@KristenPainter) July 21, 2012
Tweets from Jessica Fender:
Ladder and basket raised over roof of apartment building where suspected theater shooter lives. Bomb squad here. Responders suiting up.
— Jessica Fender (@Oh_Fender) July 20, 2012
Ladder going into bldg at suspected theater shooter's apartment bldg. twitter.com/Oh_Fender/stat…
— Jessica Fender (@Oh_Fender) July 20, 2012
Two FBI agents at the top of a fire ladder just inserted a video camera on a long pole into #theatershooting suspect's 3rd story apartment.
— Jessica Fender (@Oh_Fender) July 20, 2012
#theatershooting suspect said he was a medical student, 'quiet and easygoing' on rent.com application in 2011.
— Jessica Fender (@Oh_Fender) July 20, 2012
#theatershooting suspect left the same song blasring from his speakers in his apt early a.m. before the shooting. No word on the song.
— Jessica Fender (@Oh_Fender) July 20, 2012
Dept. Fire Chief: #theatershooting suspect's apt rigged w/tripwires tied to bottles with unknown substance. Robot – not ppl – going in soon.
— Jessica Fender (@Oh_Fender) July 20, 2012
Tweets from
photojournalist Dan Schneider:
Flags fly at half mast at Colorado State Capitol in wake of #theatershooting. Suspect they will for some time. twitter.com/schneidan/stat…
— Daniel J. Schneider (@schneidan) July 21, 2012
Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates clearly on the edge of breaking up as he describes suspect's massive ammunition purchases. #theatershooting
— Daniel J. Schneider (@schneidan) July 21, 2012
Update: Dan provided this correction/elaboration on Facebook:
Thanks for including a couple of my tweets in your story, Steve. In the interest of accuracy, I'm not a member of the Post's photo dept so it's probably inaccurate to describe me as a photojournalist it his context. I'm actually the guy who was running @denverpost for about 75% of the first 48 hours there in my capacity as an online news editor. I'm really flattered you thought so much of our social media efforts. Our team was unstoppable and amazing. Truly proud to be part of it.
Storify coverage of massacre
I will write a separate post later in this series about using Storify to curate tweets and other digital content. But I also should note in this post that two members of our new curation team, Angi Carter and Karen Workman, pitched in Friday to curate tweets and other content relating to the theater massacre. Mandy Jenkins, digital projects editor, got the curation effort started with a quick early-morning Storify of late-night tweets from the scene and other content.
Angi and Karen collaborated on a Friday curation of content throughout the day and then did separate curations of social media and professional media reports about the victims and the suspect.
Buffy Andrews of the York Daily Record also pitched in, using Geofeedia and Storify to curate social media coming from around the theaters. Buffy elaborated by email:
One thing that's been neat is being able to RSS Geofeed onto site. … The good side is that folks get to see everything coming from that area. The bad side is that they might see stuff unrelated to the event or inappropriate language, photos etc. But I make it clear that this content is not being filtered or moderated. If they choose to look at the feed, they can. If not, the Storify curation does not include the inappropriate stuff. I think there's a place for both of these and the reader can decide. …
The theater Storify has more than 1,600 views. I think that's a record for me. And I did publicize it via notifying those included. I found that those folks often retweeted the link and many of them wrote to thank me. That was kind of weird being thanked because I didn't feel as though there was anything to thank me for. But the people felt I was helping to get the word out and were grateful.
Possible updates
I have asked other Post staffers to share their lessons and techniques from their coverage of the theater attack. I will update as I receive responses from them. If you come back to check for updates, I will add them at the end here, rather than weaving them into their appropriate sections.
Related links:
How to approach sources on Twitter when covering tragedies like the Colorado shooting by Mallary Tenore
Details about Colorado shooter too important to tweet incrementally by Steve Myers
A note on today's coverage and events by Matthew Keys
Denver Post's Greg Moore Says, "We Will Be Covering This Tragedy Forever"
Earlier #twutorial posts
Update: I'm pleased to see that this post is being used for a workshop at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
@maricar uses @stevebuttry blog post from Colo shootings as template for session on Twitter & breaking news.yfrog.com/odw9atdj
— Kathy Vetter (@30bike) August 1, 2012


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March 7, 2013
Division of Human Resources hosting seminars on long-term care insurance
Legacy Services, an independent agency representing multiple brand-name carriers, is offering two 45-minute educational seminars on long-term care options at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. Each session will last about 45 minutes, and lunch will be provided. Both sessions will be in 247 Leadership Studies Building.
Topics include the services that long-term care covers, how to get the most value for your money when purchasing coverage and how Kansas' Partnership Program benefits policyholders.
For more information or to sign up, contact Legacy Services at 800-230-3398, ext. 101, or via email at email@example.com. You must RSVP by April 1 to be included in the lunch count.


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Blog - reduce incident notification with data redaction
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RadarFirst provides consistent guidance for a growing volume of privacy and security incidents involving multiple state and federal laws – and GDPR – ultimately reducing our compliance and reputational risk.
We've transitioned to a digital-first company, with all of our in-house data centers in the cloud. RadarFirst offers an innovative and secure SaaS solution, ideal for our current and future compliance needs.


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Disappeared Under Yemen's Saleh, Activist Found Alive Decades Later
By: Nabil Subaye
Published Sunday, February 3, 2013
When Mathar al-Iriani was disappeared in the 1980s under the rule of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, it would not have been a stretch to assume that he had been tortured and left for dead. Yet just last month, Iriani was found alive, partially paralyzed and stricken with amnesia, living in a retirement home close to his family's residence.
Hodeidah – In 1982, leftist activist and member of the Revolutionary Democratic Party of Yemen Mathar al-Iriani was arrested by intelligence agencies operating under the rule of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Iriani's family spent three decades looking for him. As they awaited his return, they had no idea that he was living only a few hundred meters away from their home.
In December 2012, the activist was found in a retirement home in the western Yemeni city of Hodeidah suffering from amnesia and hemiplegia as a result of the torture he endured post-disappearance. Tariq al-Iriani, a son-in-law of Mathar al-Iriani, related the details to Al-Akhbar.
Iriani's family reinvigorated the search for Mathar in December 2012 after receiving a phone call from a political activist in Sanaa involved in "The Walls Remember their Faces" campaign. The effort is dedicated to remembering those disappeared in Yemen's history and the group requested a photo of Mathar to add to a mural.
Tariq gestured to a picture of Mathar that was taken before his forced disappearance in 1982. "I took it to the Dar al-Salam Center for Mental and Psychological Illness in Hodeidah and showed it to the staff there. One person said that the man in the photo resembled a person who lived in a nearby retirement home," he said.
In the retirement home, Tariq found an old man suffering from amnesia and right hemiplegia, but who resembled his father-in-law. He snapped a photo with his cell phone and showed his wife who also saw the resemblance. "When they saw him, they were sure it was their father. Worried about him, they took him home. For them it was a done deal," he said.
When Al-Akhbar visited the family home a few days ago, Iriani was lying down, partially paralyzed. "No one knows the kind of torture he underwent," Tariq said, adding that a medical brain scan revealed that Mathar, now nearing 70, had suffered severe injuries due to blows to the head. It was likely that he had suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed.Mathar's official papers indicate that he was transferred in 1994 from a hospital in the nearby city of Taiz to the retirement home in Hodeidah. A decade later, he was taken to the Dar al-Salam Center for Mental and Psychological Illness where he spent eight years. In 2012, he was returned to the retirement home located near his family's place of residence.
Iriani is beset with fits of screaming, interspersed with insults directed at an imaginary person in front of him whom he often calls "dog." Of all those responsible for his tragedy, the central target of his cursing is Colonel Ali Abdullah Saleh. It's a name he yells often, emphasizing the military rank that the former president carried when Iriani was disappeared in the early 1980s.
Iriani also mentioned someone named Colonel al-Halali. He's thought to be the former director of security in Hodeidah.
The aging activist is a living testimony to the gruesome ways of Saleh's regime. Saleh disappeared many of his opponents, many of whom, it would seem, lost their minds and memories. It appears that destroying the minds and memories of the disappeared was part of a systematic process of erasure aimed at replacing their true identities with fabricated ones.
Iriani was found under the name Taha al-Tahiri. According to his son-in-law, the old man responds to Taha, Mathar, and Tariq. The latter name, the son-in-law explained, is a product of his father-in-law's belief that he is Tariq ibn Ziad, the Muslim general who led the Islamic conquest of Spain.
Iriani's case reinforces the claim that Saleh's regime aimed to erase the identities of opponents whom he disappeared. The son-in-law pulled out a small photo that he said was in "Taha al-Tahiri's" file. It's of a young man whose features differ greatly from Mathar's features. Tariq wondered: "Do you think this picture is of this person?"
Today, the family seems certain that this person is Mathar al-Iriani. Other than the physical resemblance, he is able to recall the names of family members and places where he lived. "There are a lot of indicators and evidence that confirm his identity," said Tariq.But he does not remember basic things like his own name and the names of his four daughters. "I am sure it is him," said Tariq. "But we will wait for the DNA test results just to avoid any mistakes."
Iriani was not the only disappeared person found at a retirement home. It appears that security forces would take whomever they suspected were disappeared people and drop them off at retirement homes under the pretext that they were insane or suffering from amnesia.
Many suspect that another sufferer of amnesia is a leftist activist named Ali Khan who was disappeared in 1978, the year Saleh assumed power in North Yemen. Yet there is uncertainty in this case. At the retirement home, this man is known as Ali Mahdi al-Rimi.
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.


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Walkerville tent city up and running
MADISON (WKOW) — The makeshift community of protesters against Governor Scott Walker's biennium budget is up and running.
The two-week long "Walkerville" tent city began Saturday with a kickoff event at 7 pm.
"This is all part of the anger and frustration at politicians that aren't listening to working class folks from around this state," said organizer Peter Rickman.
Protesters are calling it "Walkerville" after the "Hooverville" towns set up during the Great Depression.
Overnight camping is allowed along certain streets on Capitol Square, but not on Capitol grounds.
"If the people's house is going to be closed down we've gotta have a presence known," said Walkerville organizer Peter Rickman.
Rickman hopes to bring back the presence everyone remembers in February.
"We want to hold the politicians accountable for the bad choices they're making," said Rickman.
Each day will have a theme. Sunday – a rally was held for K-12 education.
"We'll take this message of dignity for all workers across this state," said Peggy Coyne, MTI President during a speech.
"It's the impact of those dollars across the state that really indicate how bad the choices are going to be," said Mary Bell, President of the Wisconsin Education Association Council.
"This budget is going to have a long lasting devastating impact on the kind of life we enjoy in Wisconsin," said Bell.


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Wildlife Removal Service in Montgomery and the Houston Area
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Montgomery is a city located in Montgomery County, Texas. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 1,948. == History == The town of Montgomery was founded in the middle of the Lake Creek Settlement by W. W. Shepperd in July 1837 on 200 acres of land that had originally been part of the John Corner League. Shepperd had established the first store in the Lake Creek Settlement in 1835. W. W. Shepperd and his partner John Wyatt Moody named the town Montgomery.Montgomery became the first county seat of Montgomery County shortly after the county was created on December 14, 1837.
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Whenever travelling solo, it is imperative that we do our research to determine the best and safest destinations to visit. We ask ourselves, is it safe for a woman to travel solo to a Developing Country? The short answer is yes, absolutely!
It is the perception that travelling solo certainly has its limitations, especially being a female travelling solo! What do we do? Do we let this stop us from travelling wherever our heart desires? Not me! Absolutely not!
I have now been travelling solo for 12 years, and many of these solo trips have been to Developing Countries. Yes….it can be, and is intimidating, and more than a little scary. But I will not let this stop me. The fear I feel is nothing that a little preparation, a few precautions and a huge amount of courage can't overcome.
It is important that we learn the true meaning of a "Developing Country". It does not mean that the people are lesser than us, or that they are less educated. The simple way to describe a Developing Country, is that it is a lower to middle income Country which hasn't yet reached the same level of sophistication as North America and Europe, with respect to its economy, infrastructure, health care, police protection or education, and in some instances, human rights. This does not necessarily make a Developing Country dangerous.
Do Your Research
Extensive research is something that should be done wherever you travel. Every destination has its sketchy areas, and they should be avoided at all costs. It is our responsibility to determine the areas to avoid prior to leaving home.
Developing Countries may have more crime per capita than our home Country, which does make it slightly more risky to travel solo to these countries. Although the majority of the crime is non violent, and consists primarily of petty theft and muggings, there has been an increase in serious crimes in recent months, which include sexual assault and murders. These crimes are occurring more regularly on resorts and in tourist areas, so we must choose our destination with an abundance of caution and heed any government warnings.
Common sense must always prevail and certain rules must always be followed:
- stay in well-lit areas
- keep all valuables at home
- carry a cross the body purse and keep it on while eating, touring, shopping, etc.
- lock your passport and other valuables in a safe
- do not venture out on your own after dark
- avoid excessive alcohol consumption
- never disclose where you are staying
It is my opinion that Developing Countries get a bum wrap. Whenever and wherever I travel, I always take the exact same precautions as I would when venturing out on my own at home. Remember, a Developing Country is no different.
The accommodations you choose will depend solely on how comfortable you feel when travelling on your own. I have found that I usually feel safest staying at a resort. A resort is slightly more secure than hotels and much more secure than renting a cottage or staying at an Airbnb, as you are always surrounded by people and resorts tend to have security on-site. Most resorts offer concierge service and tours right from on site. If you don't feel comfortable venturing out on your own, it is easy to book a tour. There is absolutely no reason for you to miss out on the adventures, and this is also a great way to meet new friends.
If you are more of the adventurous and courageous type, then by all means book an Airbnb or rent an apartment. I have done both while travelling in Developing Countries and have never had any issues. If you do choose to rent or book an Airbnb, always remember to research the person or company that you are renting from, as well as the location of the property, before handing over any money.
As in almost any Country, the public transportation in an Developing Country is safe and efficient. In fact, I have found that the transportation has been more efficient than in North America, as the locals depend on public transportation for their day-to-day activities. If you opt to use the public transportation system, make sure that you are fully aware of the location of your destination.
If you don't feel safe using the public transportation, there will always be an abundance of taxis. My only suggestion here would be to negotiate your price before you get into the vehicle, and ensure that the taxi is a properly licensed taxi.
It is the people that keep me coming back to Developing Countries. It doesn't matter which Country I am visiting, the people have been the highlight of my time spent there. I have been blessed to have met the most fantastic, friendly and loving people, while travelling to Developing Countries. The people continually pull at my heart strings, making it just about impossible for me to leave. I even fell in love with one (perhaps a topic for another blog).
For the majority of these Countries, tourism is the number one means of income, and the locals go out of their way to welcome us to their community. They are extremely proud people and are anxious for us to explore their Country and learn their culture. It is always a compliment to them if you attempt to learn and/or speak their language.
Having said that, I am not going to sugar coat things and make it all seem like roses when visiting Developing Countries. Unlike North America and Europe, most of these Countries are not multi-cultural. Keeping this in mind, do your research to ensure that you do not offend the locals by your dress, sexual orientation and beliefs, behavior, etc. Remember at all times, that you are a guest in their Country.
All in all, travelling solo to a Developing Country is no different than travelling solo to any other Country. Yes, there are precautions to take. Keep your head on straight, be sensible and be aware of your surroundings at all times, and you will be just fine!
"The only thing to fear, is fear itself" (Franklin D. Rossevelt)
Kelly xoxo


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- August 8, 2013
In a 40-page strategic plan released Monday, Nov. 9, Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight identifies five major goals that will guide the sheriff's office for the next five years.
Those goals are:
• Combat criminal activity and address conditions that foster crime and fear in Sarasota County.
• Make the roadways and waterways of Sarasota County safe places on which to travel.
• Recruit, develop, retain and recognize a diverse, educated and skilled workforce.
• Ensure agency and individual accountability by effective and efficient use of personnel, equipment and technology.
• Ensure the safety and security of those utilizing court services and in the county's correctional facilities.
Knight also detailed 125 specific steps in his strategic plan that the sheriff's office will take to accomplish those five goals. For example, to more effectively combat crime, Knight wants the sheriff's office to enhance its response to citizen calls for assistance; assure the exchange of information with other law-enforcement agencies and the community; partner with the community to create innovative and proactive crime-prevention initiatives; effectively use investigative resources to identify and prosecute offenders; assure adequate domestic-security and disaster-preparedness measures are in place; positively impact and inspire the community's youth; and implement philosophy of intelligence-led policing.
Knight said it's the first time in the 88-year history of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office that such a planning tool has been implemented.
Contact Robin Roy at [email protected].


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Here in the USA, citizens use nearly twice as much electricity per person as the English. Of course, this isn't really all that surprising, since the cost of electricity here is only two-thirds what it is in the UK. But that doesn't mean US residents should be unconcerned with energy usage, especially given the current squeeze on household budgets. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a new study has revealed that the total amount of electricity used to power game consoles in American households is much more than you might assume, and that this energy turns into lost dollars very quickly.
The report concludes that the power used by consoles each year is roughly equal to the annual amount needed to power San Diego. This massive amount of power usage is due to two factors: a) most modern consoles use far more electricity than other types of consumer electronics, and b) Americans have a habit of simply leaving their consoles turned on even when they're not in use.
The current generation of consoles offers a wide range of power use profiles: while the Wii is the "juice sipper" of the group, using only 16 watts in its active mode, the 360 and PS3 consoles have been revealed to use a great deal more electricity in their active modes–119 and 150 watts, respectively. That may not mean a lot to the average reader, but the report claims that "a Sony PlayStation 3 or Microsoft Xbox 360 left on 24 hours per day, seven days per week will consume as much electricity each year as two new refrigerators."
These power consumption figures aren't all that surprising, partly due to the fact that many owners will use the consoles as media/DVD players and will sometimes forget to turn them off after they've turned off their TV. And because the current generation of consoles doesn't feature easy-to-access power management settings–provided a console has the settings available at all–leaving consoles on in both active and/or idle modes can significantly raise annual electricity bills. According to the study, turning the Wii off after use results in an annual $3 worth of power used vs. $10 if it's left on. The 360's annual electricity cost if turned off is $11 vs. $103 if left on, and for the PS3 the numbers are $12 for turning it off and a whopping $134 per year for leaving it on.
The report also revealed that power-save modes, if available, can help reduce the cost of using a console. There is no such option on the Wii, but the 360 and PS3 both have one. In the case of the 360, power management exists in the form of an "Auto-Off" mode that's a little difficult to find in the system menu (under "Console Settings"). Sony's console doesn't come with a power-save mode, it can use a similar setting via Folding@Home.
The NDRC's report, which totals at 28 pages, also features a number of other suggestions for future steps to help reduce game consoles' energy consumption. Aside from implementing more efficient power supplies and performance scaling with these products, the most effective step could actually be to simply turn on default power-management settings before the units are shipped out from the factories. In the case of the 360, it would also be beneficial to make the settings kick in after 3 hours instead of 6. "Users should not have to 'opt in' in order to improve the energy efficiency of their consoles," the report suggests.
By incorporating these practices, the NDRC claims that the United States' electricity bill could be cut by more than $1 billion. Not only that, but it would help, "[reduce] emissions of more than 7 million tons of CO 2 each year—an amount equal to the global warming pollution from all the cars on the road in San Jose, our nation's high-tech capital."


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Mullens may fit in future plans
PHILADELPHIA – Byron Mullens didn't seem limited by the left ankle sprain that's kept him sidelined for the last five games while warming up before the 76ers' game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
But the 7-foot, 275-pound big man remains day-to-day, according to Sixers coach Brett Brown, who said he could envision Mullens remaining with the team long term.
"I think he's interesting because I see what I saw in Spencer (Hawes)," Brown said, comparing Mullens to the Sixers' former starting center, who was dealt at the trade deadline. "You see a 7-foot guy who can step out and stretch the floor, and he is athletic. He can get up and down the floor, and I feel like he's a good person, he's coachable, there's a part of those inherent qualities that he possesses that interest me."
Mullens has managed just 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 13.1 minutes in 16 games with the Sixers since being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers for a conditional second-round draft pick at the Feb. 20 trade deadline.
Last season, Mullens averaged a career-high 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 26.9 minutes in 53 games, including 41 starts, with the Charlotte Bobcats. But he shot just 38.5 percent from the field and 64.6 percent from the free throw line.
Mullens, 25, was originally selected out of Ohio State by Dallas Mavericks with the 24th overall pick in 2009, but was traded the same day. He played sparingly in his first two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, received significantly more playing time the last two seasons with the Bobcats and appeared in 27 games earlier this season with the Clippers.
Mullens holds a $1.063 million player option for next season, but the Sixers have been willing to cut ties with players they owe money. Philadelphia waived center Kwame Brown in November, even though he was guaranteed $2.9 million this season, and released point guard Eric Maynor in mid-March, despite being on the hook for his $2.1 million player option next season.
If Mullens sticks around, it's because the Sixers believe he can contribute to a winning atmosphere.
"I feel like his better days are going to be directly related to his body," Brown said about Mullens. "I feel like if he can get into career-best fitness and come in strong and lean and thinking like that and acting like that, then the carry over to playing defense and rebounding have really a chance to shine, but his foundation is really very attractive."
• Nunnally gone?: James Nunnally, playing on the final day of his second 10-day contract, managed three points in four minutes in the first half Saturday. The Sixers would need to sign him for the remainder of the season to retain his services. Five games and 10 days remain in the regular season, which ends April 16 at Miami.
Nunnally entered the game having averaged 2.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 12.9 minutes in eight games.


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Top News
Minnesota Image Ingest
From September through December 2010, the University of Minnesota worked with HathiTrust on a prototype project to add 50,000 image objects and associated metadata from the collections of the Minnesota Digital Library, and another 8,000 from the Minnesota Historical Society. To date, numerous lessons have been learned regarding format standards, identifiers, and rights issues related to image data sourced from different institutions. The project is also expected to shed some light on the costs of archiving image data in HathiTrust relative to that for published books and journals. Completion of the project and release of the final report are expected in the next month. For more information, please contact John Butler (firstname.lastname@example.com).
Local Digitization Ingest
Staff at the University of Michigan incorporated feedback received from a variety of sources in October and November into the policy and specifications framework for scaling ingest of locally-digitized partner materials. The framework was finalized and approved, and is available at http://www.hathitrust.org/ingest. The bulk of the enhancements to ingest systems to support this work were completed as well, and ingest of Minnesota images and a sample of Yale content have occurred in the new ingest environment. The new environment will eventually be used for Ingest of all materials, including those downloaded from Google and the Internet Archive.
CC licenses
Developers at Michigan began implementing changes to support Creative Commons licenses in the repository's rights management scheme. Development is expected to be completed in February. Beginning March 1, CC licenses will be included in the "Rights" and "Rights determination reason code" fields of tab-delimited files HathiTrust makes available for download. These files contain copyright, identifier, and limited bibliographic information for all volumes in the repository.
Print Holdings Information
At the beginning of December, HathiTrust requested information from partners about the print holdings of their respective libraries. The information is being used to assemble a database that will support the new cost model all partners will participate under in 2013, facilitate legal access uses of materials in HathiTrust (e.g., section 108 uses and access for users with print disabilities), and form a base for collaborative collection management and collection development activities among the partnership. Partners are requested to provide this information by the end of February.
Working Groups
The recently-formed HathiTrust Collections Committee is a new standing committee reporting to the Strategic Advisory Board charged with establishing strategic directions related to the collection, including collection building and management (see charge and membership). The Committee held its first meeting in October 2010. Examples of issues currently under consideration include the role of duplicates in HathiTrust, models for shared management of print collections, and a variety of rights-related concerns. A more general area of investigation will be an exploration of specific collection development opportunities that the partnership might pursue and recommendations for how such activities should be prioritized and carried out, including considerations relating to non-book formats and collaboration with other initiatives. The Committee is considering a survey of the membership in order to assemble a better picture of partner expectations and aspirations. Input from other HathiTrust partners is welcomed; feel free to contact Ivy Anderson, chair (firstname.lastname@example.com) or another member of the Committee with comments and questions.
The Communications Working Group continued to craft a marketing and communication plan for 2011, and expects to send a draft to the Executive Committee and Strategic Advisory Board by the end of January.
Discovery Interface
Despite holiday vacations, December was a busy month as the Discovery Interface Working Group (DIWG) worked with OCLC to take the final steps towards releasing the version 1 prototype catalog. With endorsement by the Strategic Advisory Board, the DIWG is now pleased to announce that the public release will go forward as planned in mid-January. Keep an eye out for the official announcement from OCLC. In addition to planning for the scheduled release, the DIWG is also developing post-release processes for managing user feedback and monitoring the system, an operational responsibility that will be supported by the California Digital Library. A three-month period of user testing will take place post-release, which will provide valuable input and help shape version 2 of this important effort.
The group reviewed a plan for a second round of usability for the HathiTrust-OCLC prototype catalog to be conducted in conjunction with OCLC and the Discovery Interface Group. The group also provided feedback on some proposed designs for a new PageTurner and revised home page.
Content From Yale
A sample of digitized content from Yale University Library was ingested in December. The content is being reviewed by staff at Yale ahead of full ingest, which is expected to begin in January.
Development Updates
Bibliographic Metadata Management
In December 2010, the California Digital Library (University of California) and HathiTrust solidified business arrangements and posted a Principal Metadata Analyst position to support development of the HathiTrust Metadata Management System. The University of Michigan transferred input files and scripts describing current bibliographic metadata transformation practices so work can begin at CDL on developing routines for metadata ingest. Progress is also being made on the development of the core metadata storage system. Project information, including overview, milestones, and timeline, is available at http://www.hathitrust.org/htmms.
First Storage Replacement Cycle Begins
The original storage equipment purchased in late 2007 for HathiTrust has reached its retirement age of approximately 3 years. HathiTrust uses modular storage, and modules may be removed and replaced without disrupting service. Data migration is handled in the background and is fully automatic, though the process does take time to complete. Michigan staff have developed a plan for the upgrade at the Michigan site, and once in progress, will start a similar upgrade process at the Indiana site. The replacement of storage hardware will now be an annual or semi-annual process, shadowing historical patterns of growth and storage purchases.
Repository Auditing
Michigan staff have begun developing audit mechanisms to verify the integrity of content stored in the repository. These processes will augment existing features of the storage system that routinely scan, detect, and repair hardware-level data storage errors (commonly referred to as "bit rot"). As part of this initiative, a preliminary integrity check of all repository Zip archives--which are used as containers for image, text, and metadata files--was run. The check revealed an error in one page of one volume resulting from a problem with data synchronization from Michigan to Indiana; this was easily corrected. Developers are now coding and testing a comprehensive set of audit routines to ensure that all items recorded as being present in the repository are stored properly and are fully intact, including checksum validation.
Full-text Search
Work to re-index the full text of all volumes in the repository continues, and after encountering some out-of-memory problems, additional tuning and upgrades were made to Solr servers. Performance is almost an order of magnitude better than expected, owing to new optimizations that are being tested for the first time. This effort is on schedule for completion by the end of January.
Staff at Michigan outlined final steps for integrating BookReader with PageTurner. Changes to the user interface layout and performance testing are the main areas of remaining work. The layout design was completed in December, and will be coded in January.
Data API
In November, developers at Michigan made a change to the structure of the URL used to retrieve content and metadata from the repository through the Data API. The old structure will no longer be supported as of March 1. Users of the Data API should consult the URL structure specified in the current Data API documentation.
There were no outages in December.
New Growth
Number of volumes added:
|Columbia University
|Cornell University
|Indiana University
|New York Public Library
|Penn State University
|Princeton University
|University of California
|The University of Chicago
|University of Illinois
|University of Madrid
|University of Michigan
|University of Minnesota
|University of Wisconsin
|Yale University Library
Public Domain (~25%)
January Forecast
- Complete Minnesota image ingest pilot
- Complete draft of marketing and communications plan
- Complete full-text re-indexing
- Continue work on BookReader integration
Letter from the Executive Director
HathiTrust and Growth in 2011
HathiTrust grew rapidly in 2010, increasing the relevance of the HathiTrust collection to the management of our print collections. The HathiTrust collection will reach two milestones in early 2011: in January, HathiTrust will reach 2 million public domain volumes and, soon afterwards, the collection as a whole will pass 8 million volumes. Thanks to ongoing collection analysis work by OCLC Research, we know that North American research libraries overlapped with the HathiTrust collection at a median rate of just over 33% and that the median rate of overlap with the Oberlin Group of Libraries was closer to 40%. In each of the last two years, the repository grew by nearly 3 million volumes, and the rate of overlap between ARL libraries and HathiTrust grew at about 1% per 240,000 volumes of HathiTrust growth.
If you manage a rich library collection, you will find a significant percentage of your holdings online in HathiTrust; moreover, because of the size and diversity of the HathiTrust collection, you can add over one million new public domain volumes to your collection through the addition of HathiTrust links to your catalog. It is certainly true that the obstacles to using the in-copyright volumes for the delivery of mainstream library services are immense, but just as certainly this phenomenal collection can help us change the way that we administer the storage of little-used print collections. We can confidently say that in 2010 we made progress on HathiTrust's mission-related goal "[t]o stimulate redoubled efforts to coordinate shared storage strategies among libraries, thus reducing long-term capital and operating costs of libraries associated with the storage and care of print collections." With 2011 also comes a change in HathiTrust's growth trajectory and the need for a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities for future growth as a tool in shaping our collection management. To date, the two largest depositors in HathiTrust have been California and Michigan, representing approximately 26% and 57% of HathiTrust's total deposits. The growth of new content from these institutions will slow in 2011 and, barring significant changes, HathiTrust's collection will grow by fewer than 2 million volumes in 2011. Even this more modest growth is good news: it may lead to a 40% overlap between HathiTrust and ARL libraries.
We know from OCLC's analysis (Cloud-sourcing Research Collections: Managing Print in the Mass-digitized Library Environment," by Constance Malpas) that even 33% overlap is of significant value to many of our libraries. Still, HathiTrust needs growth. HathiTrust's value as a pivotal resource in viewing the aggregation of our collections benefits from growth. Building comprehensive and accessible online collections is a necessary part of our strategy for designing effective print storage and access strategies. This is true, for example, for US federal government publications, and is just as true for the large volume of mid-20th century publishing, much of which languishes in suboptimal off-site storage facilities in our libraries. While a 33% overlap between the HathiTrust collection and the collections of ARL libraries is valuable, 50% and 60% overlap can be a powerful catalyst to major changes in print storage.
Our growth is key for a broad array of library access and management opportunities. The case for HathiTrust as a catalyst for changed print management has become clear to our partners. There are other important reasons as well:
Large numbers of titles appear to be protected by copyright but are in fact in the public domain. Digital availability has been a necessary piece of the strategy that has helped HathiTrust partners open access to 55% of the books published in the US between 1923-1963. A new effort will also open access to large numbers of non-US works. Because of our investments to date, adding to the US 1923-1963 collection will also increase what we know to be in the public domain.
Partners are now working to assign resources to securing permissions for use of books and journals now online. Preliminary efforts have opened access to thousands of volumes. Online availability ensures that opening access is merely a matter of flipping a switch once permission is secured, increasing our incentive to work on the problem.
The richness of the collection makes possible important lawful uses of in-copyright materials. Many library volumes are eligible for uses under Section 108 provisions in US copyright law, and the online availability of a volume can help a library provide lawful access to an out-of-print work that is damaged, deteriorated, lost or stolen. HathiTrust partners are poised to follow Michigan's lead and use the online volumes to provide services for their users with print disabilities. Again, this is an activity that can only happen when the volume in question is online.
Despite the likelihood of lower growth for 2011, the possibility of future HathiTrust growth remains great. Overlap between HathiTrust and ARL libraries will probably grow to "only" 40% in 2011, but based on current prospects, that overlap could grow to 60% in the coming year. The impediments to that growth are significant but tractable. For example, several newer HathiTrust partners who have also invested in local repository infrastructure have millions of volumes of digital content that would enrich the collection. Needless to say, the prior investments by these institutions make the additional cost of deposit in HathiTrust expensive, but because of a predominance of pre-1978 materials, this content is a rich resource for copyright determination work and would significantly increase overlap. Some partners also face legal and contractual obstacles. The majority of volumes digitized from CIC are embargoed under the presumption that they are in copyright. As we have learned through our copyright determination work, significant percentages of this content are actually in the public domain, and again these volumes would also increase overlap.
The growth of HathiTrust and the nature of the collection have created critical opportunities, but we must continue to push toward the goal of a nearly comprehensive digital collection in order to benefit fully from what that collection can offer. Copyright determination work, securing rights, and especially print storage management will all be furthered by growth. We will continue to address existing impediments and urge our partners to help round out HathiTrust's large and increasingly comprehensive collection.
John Wilkin
Executive Directory, HathiTrust


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LONDON – HSBC PLC saw around 4 billion pounds ($6.8 billion) wiped off its market value Monday after it reported worse than expected profits.
Europe's biggest bank by market value said cost-cutting helped its 2013 profits before tax rise 9 per cent to $22.6 billion compared with $20.6 billion in 2012. The consensus in the markets was for something near $25 billion.
And the company's earnings per share of $0.84 fell short of the consensus of $0.95.
Gary Greenwood of Shore Capital Stockbrokers said the results "missed our own and company collated market consensus expectations on a number of key metrics."
Investors also zeroed in on the company's exposure to emerging markets. Though it is a U.K.-listed company, HSBC has big operations around the world notably in Asia and Latin America.
Though the bank insisted it was optimistic for the long term and saw troubles in the emerging world as a reflection of specific problems, such as uncertain outcomes in elections and large current account deficits, it did say it expected "greater volatility" and "choppy markets" this year.
The company's share price slid 3.4 per cent to 632 pence.
Overall, the bank said the cost-cutting strategy has made it a leaner organization than in 2011 when Stuart Gulliver took over as chief executive. The bank has since cut some 41,000 jobs out of a workforce of 295,000 in and dumped 63 non-strategic businesses.
"Our performance in 2013 reflects the strategic measures we have taken over the past three years," said Gulliver, who is in line to receive a bonus of 8 million pounds ($13.2 million), an increase of nearly 7 per cent.


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Court won't hear anti-gay marriage group appeal
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from a national anti-gay marriage group that tried to thwart Maine's campaign disclosure law requiring it to release its donor list.
The high court turned aside an appeal from the National Organization for Marriage, which donated $1.9 million to a political action committee that helped repeal Maine's same-sex marriage law.
Maine's campaign disclosure law requires groups that raise or spend more than $5,000 to influence elections to register and disclose donors. NOM contends that releasing the donor list would stymie free speech and subject donors to harassment, but the lower court refused to throw out the law.
Voters repealed Maine's gay marriage law in 2009, but it's on the ballot again this November.
For now, the 2009 donor list remains under wraps.
The state ethics commission is still investigating whether NOM falls under the state's ballot question committee requirements, said its executive director, Jonathan Wayne.
"Today's decision by the Supreme Court is an important development, but no decision has been reached by the commission regarding the National Organization for Marriage's 2009 activities," he said.
Matt McTighe, campaign manager for Mainers United for Marriage, which supports the gay marriage proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot, said gay marriage supporters don't care so much about who's on NOM's list of donors but rather want the organization to play by the same rules as everybody else.
"It's not like we're dying to get those names. There's nothing about the list itself that's important," he said. "We just think they should play by the same rules as everyone else and disclose where their money comes from. If they're going to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign like they did in 2009, the people of Maine should know where that money's coming from."
NOM, which didn't immediately return calls seeking comment from The Associated Press, is involved again in the gay marriage proposal this year. The organization already has transferred $250,000 to the Protect Marriage Maine political action committee, which opposes gay marriage.


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"It is the ultimate management conceit that we can motivate people." — Peter Scholtes, team effectiveness consultant and author
After six years at Universal Pictures, Harry Cohn formed Columbia Pictures in 1924. During the following decades he ran the company with an iron fist. His image as a tyrant was reinforced by the riding whip he kept near his desk to crack for emphasis. Cohn's form of "motivation" led to the greatest creative turnover of any major studio. At his funeral in 1958, one observer suggested that the 1,300 attendees "had not come to bid farewell, but to make sure he was actually dead."
Some parents want their kids to be independent as long as they do everything they're told to. Some team leaders want their teams to be empowered as long as they follow directions. What some "leaders," call "motivation" is getting others to carry out their orders. Some seem to live by the philosophy that if I want any of your bright ideas I'll give them to you. Just do what you're told…and look like you're enjoying it. These forms of "motivation" are based on fear and force. If the punishment is strong enough and the policing rigid enough, they will lead to compliance. People will follow the rules and marching orders. But that's all. Energy, creativity, and extra effort will be minimal. So will ownership and commitment. The only passion tyrants and autocrats create are fear, loathing, and the desire for revenge.
The key problems of the Motivation Myth is clearly illustrated by a Farcus cartoon; a team leader is at the head of a conference table addressing her team with these words, "We need to improve morale, any of you boneheads have a good idea?" The main cause of the problem seems pretty obvious. She just needs to look in the mirror. But obviously the obvious isn't always so obvious. Root causes and symptoms are continuously confused.
The Farcus team leader is treating low morale as a problem to be solved rather than an indicator of much deeper issues. Clearly a key source of a deeper problem is her contempt for her team and her forcefulness. Her approach is like an auto mechanic reporting, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Many of the symptoms and root causes of motivation and morale can be clarified by understanding the doing versus being aspects of mobilizing and energizing. We need to get beyond "do to" programs and techniques. The big sticks of fear, punishments, and discipline or the carrots of incentives and rewards may work in the short term. But to keep them working, we need to continually increase the beatings or sweeten and vary the incentives. Eventually the beatings will burn people out and they will quit. Some will leave and find other jobs. Many will silently resign and continue to report for work everyday.
People should be fairly rewarded for their contributions. The absence of money can be demotivating, but its presence doesn't provide healthy, long-term motivation. Using money or types of incentives to get increased performance turns people into selfish, self-centered mercenaries who are increasingly tuned into WIFM (what's-in-it-for-me). Pride, teamwork, concern for customers, shared values, growing and developing, passion, meaningful work, and the like fade. These become hollow words that raise "the snicker factor" whenever they are heard.
Effective mobilizing and energizing goes well beyond "doing" programs to the "being" or culture of a team, organization, or any group including a family. That culture is a set of shared attitudes and accumulated habits around "the way we do things here." The culture provides the context or backdrop that either energizes or exhausts people.


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Obama's presidential campaign is picking up steam and we can already see how ugly it is going to get. Not only has Obama has broken every campaign promise he made. but his policies have steadily worsened an already bad economy. They have done so so efficiently that one wonders if it could be "on purpose." While spouting catchy slogans that too many Americans fall for hook, line, and sinker … he attacks one American ideal after another; religious freedom, free trade, property rights, the middle class, hard work rewarded with success (and not punitive, ever-increasing taxation), and freedom of choice, etc. His minions giggle gleefully as he give $15 million to a Canadian solar company that employees two (yes … that is correct … "2") employes on its site in Nevada and calls it an investment in "green energy." One wonders what underhanded task was performed, or how much money was bundled by that company, for him?
Our first "Gay President" has shown he has a true gift for propaganda (spreading bull shit) and that too many Americans have become so lazy in their thinking and work ethic … that they gleefully jump on his socialist band wagon like a bunch a crack whores looking for their next fix. It is absolutely disgusting!!
This country is being dragged by the nose into a downward spiral leading to a " Greek or France" like economy …. and far too many Americans are blindly skipping along in tune; rather than kicking and screaming. Is this because Obama promises them free "stuff" that in reality he can never provide because the country simply cannot afford it? Have Americans become that lazy … or just corrupted by to many entitlement programs?
Is his campaign really going to be based on poorly sourced claims about Romney's high school days as a possible "bully"? I guess it is … since his liberal press lap-dogs lap that crap up like candy and regurgitate is dutifully. Not surprisingly, his lap-dogs will never mention Obama's college years marijuana or cocaine use! After all, he sends shivers up their collective liberal legs!
God help America! If true Americans do not stand up and eject this treasonous, anti-American from the Office of the President, we deserve exactly what we get!
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