The Scout Report

August 22,1997

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Science Department, University of Wisconsin

A Project of the InterNIC

The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators, the InterNIC's primary audience. However, everyone is welcome to subscribe to one of the mailing lists (plain text or HTML). Subscription instructions are included at the end of each report.

Internet Scout Articles in Choice and American Libraries
Two American Library Association (ALA) Publications have recently featured the Internet Scout Project. The August, 1997 issue of American Libraries (Vol. 28, No.7) Internet Librarian column, by Karen G. Schneider, contains an article entitled "Scouting for Net Sites." (P. 88) Choice, the "monthly review service published by the Association of College and Research Libraries," in its special 1997 (Vol. 34) supplement (The WEB Issue), contains an article by Susan Calcari and Jack Solock entitled "The Internet Scout Project: Filtering for Quality" (P.25-37), and features sixty Scout Report annotations selected by the editor of Choice. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

IEEE Computer Society Digital Library [.pdf]
http://computer.org/publications/dlib/Computer%20Society Digital%20Library
The Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) offers free trial access until sometime in the fourth quarter of 1997 to full text of its seventeen journals from 1995 to the present. The journals will then remain free to Society members until 1998, when they will be available to Society members on a subscription basis. Recent issues are available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, which will be subsequently converted to HTML. This site provides abstracts and HTML versions of back issues. The entire collection can be searched from a single interface, and each journal can also be searched separately. A concise description of the subject matter covered is provided on the home page of each journal. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Cancer Genome Anatomy Project--National Cancer Institute
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ncicgap/
The National Cancer Institute has launched the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project to "achieve a comprehensive molecular characterization of normal, precancerous, and malignant cells." Sequenced genes are held as library entries in a database and are available for downloading (fasta format). Each cDNA library entry may include biological source, number of sequences, and library construction detail information. Thousands of gene sequences are available for over 15 cancers, including breast, colon, and prostrate. Contact information for donating or obtaining tissue samples for research purposes is provided. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

Cents Financial Journal
http://www.lp-llc.com/cents/
Cents Financial Journal, provided by the Electronic Publishing Company LLC, is a compendium of financial commentary provided by economists and analysts at companies such as Moody's, Prudential Securities, JP Morgan, Northern Trust, Morgan Stanley, Banc One, Commodity Resource Corporation, and Wells Capital Management, among others. Topics covered include fixed income, commodities, real estate, and economics. Also included are selected government economic indicators, Federal Reserve Bank information, and private releases. Hypertext connections to the institutions that the authors are associated with are provided. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

The Alchemist--ChemWeb
http://chemweb.com/alchem/home.html
ChemWeb
http://chemweb.com
The well known ChemWeb site (free after required registration) has launched their new webzine, the Alchemist. The Alchemist is a round up of current news stories with links to articles about each story. Users can also access research news, links to selected web sites, current topics being discussed on chemistry lists and newsgroups, and a conference diary. ChemWeb is maintained by two groups: Current Science Group and MDL Information Systems, Inc. A conference diary recently been added to its array of services. [KH]
[Back to Contents]

The Durkheim Pages
http://www.pscw.uva.nl/sociosite/TOPICS/Sociologists.html
At the heart of this resource on the French sociologist and philosopher Emile Durkheim, provided by Professor Robert Alun Jones of the University of Illinois, is its bibliographic section. Included are both a complete chronological bibliography of Durkheim's published works, and an alphabetical bibliography of hundreds of items about Durkheim. An explanation of the process involved in producing these bibliographies is provided at the site. This site also features two full texts (French only at this time), highlighted by a set of lecture notes taken by the philosopher Andre Lalonde from a course given by Durkheim in 1883-84. A brief biography of Durkheim, a timeline, a list of lecture courses taught by Durkheim, and a glossary of pertinent terms are available. Much content at the site is informed by Steven Lukes' Durkheim: His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Digital Library News
http://cimic.rutgers.edu/~ieeedln/
This new newsletter, provided by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Computer Society Task Force on Digital Libraries, and issued three times per year (June/July, October, and February), intends to be a "brief alerting/reporting service for those working in the diverse fields which comprise digital libraries." The first issue features a report on the Advances in Digital Libraries Conference, which took place in May, 1997. Pertinent site and electronic journal announcements, and a conference calendar are included. Submissions are encouraged. An archive of the newsletter is available at the above URL. [JS]

To subscribe send email to:
ieeedln@cimic.rutgers.edu
In the body of the message type:
subscribe ieeedln FirstName LastName
[Back to Contents]

Line Item Vetoes--The Office of the Clerk On-line Information Center (House of Representatives) [.pdf]
http://clerkweb.house.gov/docs/cancellations.htm
The Office of the Clerk On-line Information Center
http://clerkweb.house.gov/
Adobe Acrobat Reader
http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html
Tucked away in a corner of this very informative US House of Representatives site is an archive of the first three instances of President Clinton's line item veto (two for the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and one for the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 [discussed in the August 8, 1997 Scout Report]). For the first time in US history, a President has stricken down provisions of a law without vetoing the entire law. These four historic pages (available in Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format only) are provided along with links to the laws they pertain to. The site contains much useful information about the House, including biographical information on Speakers of the House, Floor Leaders (1899-present) party makeup of the House and Senate since 1855, a list of candidates for Senate and House (organized by state and district) in the 1996 election, election statistics from the 1996, 1994, and 1992 elections and, of course, House directory information. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

African American (and Other) Exhibitions--Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
Le Tumulte Noir: Paul Colin's Jazz Age Portfolio
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/noir/
Breaking Racial Barriers: African Americans in the Harmon Foundation Collection
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/harmon/
National Portrait Gallery Exhibitions Index
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/index.htm
The National Portrait Gallery hosts on-line companions to their current exhibitions. "Le Tumulte Noir" is a collection of 14 lithographs by Paul Colin, French poster artist and life-long friend of Josephine Baker. Inspired by Baker and the Jazz music and dance that captivated Paris in the late 1920s, Colin published a portfolio of color lithographs in 1929 entitled "Le Tumulte Noir" ("The Black Craze"). This NPG site offers a history of Colin and Baker's friendship and the jazz scene in 1920s Paris as well as the lithographs themselves. The exhibition is on view at the NPG through September 14. "Breaking Racial Barriers" is a selection of twenty portraits of distinguished African-Americans that were part of the Harmon Foundation exhibition that toured the US in the early 1950s in the cause of combatting racial inequity. "Breaking Racial Barriers" will be on view in the NPG through January 4, 1998. In addition to these exhibits, users can access on-line versions of past NPG presentations through their exhibition index site. These include "Red, Hot & Blue: A Salute to American Musicals," and "1846: Portrait of the Nation." [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Municipal Codes Online--Seattle Public Library
http://www.spl.lib.wa.us/govpubs/municode.html
Municipal Code Corporation
http://www.municode.com/
Drawing heavily on the Folio databases made available by the Municipal Code Corporation, as well as other sources, Jeannette Voiland of the Seattle Public Library has compiled a growing list of over 150 municipal codes in 37 states at this time. Depth of coverage varies by state, with especially good coverage for Florida, California, and Washington. As the site grows, it should become a major repository for US municipal code information. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Retro--The Magazine of Classic 20th Century Popular Culture [RealAudio, Quicktime]
http://www.retroactive.com/
This bimonthly ezine, provided by Retro LLC, concentrates on "celebrating classic popular culture of the first three-fourths of the 20th century." It is highlighted by RetroRadio, RealAudio music selections presently featuring an article on the Monterrey Pop festival of 1967, which includes selections from Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, The Mamas and the Papas, The Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix, among others. Previous articles have featured blues and cowboy music. Tip Tray offers articles on fashion, shopping, and collecting, as well as book and CD-ROM reviews. Teletype offers daily commentary along with hypertext links when available. You can also send an electronic card from the Card Rack (pulp magazine and 1920's sheet music covers are some of the choices available). An archive of back issues is available. Users are encouraged to take the "first time tour" to help navigate this eclectic and fun site. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Growbaby--Landscaping and Plant Mailing List
http://www.growbaby.com/
Growbaby is a list for the discussion of landscaping, plants, and related topics. Experienced landscapers and nurseryworkers as well as homeowners are encouraged to participate in this list. The hope is that people from all climates can share their experiences with each other as well as get some expert advice from experienced cultivators. Subscription information is available at the above URL. [JS]

To subscribe to send email to:
MAJORDOMO@KAJOR.COM
In the body of the message type:
SUBSCRIBE GROWBABY
[Back to Contents]

ZDNet Back to School '97 Special Report [RealAudio]
http://www.zdnet.com/athome/content/btschool/
RealAudio
http://www.real.com
ZDNet (discussed in the October 25, 1996 Scout Report), provides this site to help users make sense of the role of technology in education. Surprisingly, although one might expect a "gee whiz" tribute to computers in education from a company that produces twenty-two computer and Internet related magazines, it will not be found here. The Experts Speak section offers short articles on the future of technology by Michael Crichton ("techno-alarmist") and Reed Hundt ("exiting FCC Commissioner") that originally appeared in Yahoo Internet Life. Does Technology Make the Grade? features a twenty-three minute RealAudio debate between Newsweek Interactive editor Todd Oppenheimer and Computer Curriculum Corporation executive David Dwyer on "Technology in schools--good or bad?", as well as a "Net Report Card" (also provided by YIL) that is anything but flattering. On a more positive note, there are sections that aid in buying hardware and software, "online homework helpers" (briefly annotated metasites) for K-12 and college, back to school K-12 shareware, and tips on how to be an educated buyer. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

O'Reilly to Host PERL Language Home Page
http://www.perl.com/
O'Reilly press release:
http://software.ora.com/news/press/pr8-19-97.html
O'Reilly & Associates publishers has announced that it will host the well known Perl Language Home Page, originally developed by Tom Christiansen. The Perl site has long provided one stop shopping for web developers who depend on the language to enhance sites. It contains software, resource, and training information, as well as a connection to the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN). O'Reilly expects to upgrade and "significantly accelerate" the site. Christiansen maintains that the change is "tremendous for the Perl community." [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Volume 1, Number 17: The Scout Report for August 19, 1994
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/archive/8-19-94.html
US Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/
NPSAS: Student Financial Aid Estimates for 1995-96 [.pdf, 40p.]
http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs97/97570.html
Private Schools in the United States: A Statistical Profile 1993-94
http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs/ps/index.html
Dropout Rates in the United States: 1995
http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs/dp95/index.html
Current Funds Revenues and Expenditures of Institutions of Higher Education FY 1987 through FY 1995
http://www.ed.gov/NCES/pubs/cfre97/97441.html
When this site was annotated it contained a few full-text reports, information about education legislation, and electronic "shelves" that focused on such issues as technology and school-to-work. Today the US Department of Education web site has grown into one of the largest providers of government information on the web. It contains news releases, speeches and testimony by the Secretary of Education, fact sheets, grant and financial assistance information, departmental initiatives, and publications and products, among others. One of its highlights is the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which contains hundreds of full-text reports and datasets pertaining to US education. Among the latest of these are: NPSAS [National Postsecondary Student Aid Study]: Student Financial Aid Estimates for 1995-96, Private Schools in the United States: A Statistical Profile 1993-94, Dropout Rates in the United States: 1995, and Current Funds Revenues and Expenditures of Institutions of Higher Education FY 1987 through FY 1995. [JS]
[Back to Contents]

Copyright Susan Calcari, 1994-1997. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the Scout Report provided the copyright notice and this paragraph is preserved on all copies. The InterNIC provides information about the Internet to the US research and education community under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation: NCR-9218742. The Government has certain rights in this material.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, the National Science Foundation, AT&T, or Network Solutions, Inc.

The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout

Susan Calcari
Jack Solock
Jeannine Ramsey
Teri Boomsma
Michael de Nie
Aimee D. Glassel
Kathryn Harris
Matthew Livesey
Thiam Hee Ng
Amy Tracy Wells
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Managing Editor
Editor
Production Editor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor

Scout Report and Scout Report HTML Subscription Instructions

To receive the electronic mail version of the Scout Report each week, join the scout-report mailing list at the InterNIC Web Site. This is the only mail you will receive from this list. Unsubscribing from the scout-report list can also be done at this site.
http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/lwgate/SCOUT-REPORT/
To receive the Scout Report in HTML format for local viewing and posting, subscribe to the scout-report-html mailing list at the InterNIC Web Site, used exclusively to distribute the Scout Report in HTML format once a week. Unsubscribing from the scout-report list can also be done at this site.
http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/lwgate/SCOUT-REPORT-HTML/

The Scout Report's Web page:

http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/

Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) versions of the Scout Report:

http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/pdf/

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project

Comments, Suggestions, Feedback
Use our feedback form or send email to scout@cs.wisc.edu.

The Scout Report - August 22,1997

The Scout Report

August 22,1997

New From Internet Scout

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

Where Are They Now

Scout Report and Scout Report HTML Subscription Instructions

The Scout Report's Web page:

Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) versions of the Scout Report: