Scout Report for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/socsci/2000/ss-001017.html
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/bus-econ/2000/be-001019.html
The fourth issues of the fourth volumes of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. The In the News section of the Social Sciences Report annotates seven resources on the continuing fall in crime rates. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section offers eight resources on the debate over Social Security. [MD]
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Periodicals.net
http://www.periodicals.net/
Produced by Library Technology Alliance, Ltd., Periodicals.net indexes 97,000 publications whose content is available through online vendors or that are published online. The search page allows keyword queries by title, subject, or ISSN, and users can further specify coverage type (full, abstract, index) and vendor. Initial returns include titles and ISSN. Full entries list vendors that offer content from the periodical, dates of coverage, and a link to their homepage. Users who would like to access content from these vendors must, of course, belong to an institution with a subscription or subscribe themselves. The site also offers a Search E-Journals interface, which indexes many free resources available online. Search returns in this category link to the publications's homepages. [MD]
[Back to Contents]The State of Food and Agriculture 2000 -- United Nations
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x4400e/x4400e00.htm
According to the recently released The State of Food and Agriculture 2000 (SOFA), the closing years of the last century were not particularly good for world food and agriculture. Due to difficult climatic conditions and the financial crisis of 1997, crop and livestock production in developing countries continued to decline noticeably. The report is divided into two main sections. The first offers a general world review of the state of agriculture including information on some specific current agricultural situations, economic environments and agriculture, and selected issues including the effects of microcredit and "conflicts, agriculture, and security." The second section explores in detail the lessons learned about world food and agriculture in the last 50 years. Main chapters in the section include "Half a Century of Food and Agriculture," "Socio-Economic Impact of Agricultural Modernization," "Food Nutrition Security: Why Food Production Matters," and "What Have We Learned." The entire body of this report is available online in HTML format. [EM]
[Back to Contents]Art and Culture [Flash, Shockwave, Java]
http://www.artandculture.com/
This interesting and visually appealing site links to a variety of resources related to the visual arts, performing arts, design, literature, music, and film. From the main page, visitors can access the Arts or Culture sections or go directly to a number of Arts entries (e.g., literary theory, industrial design, jazz, photography, etc.) listed in six categories: Design Art, Film, Literature, Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. In the main Arts sections, users can browse these same categories or perform a keyword search for artists or movements. For instance, a search for "dada" resulted in initial returns under design, theater, and art. The full listing under art included a brief description of the Dada movement, a few annotated links, and links to related artists and keywords. It also offered a "Cloud" of moving terms and artists that represent the "context of an artist or a movement." Clicking on any of the words brings that word to the center and also displays the respective entry from the index. The Culture section of the site is somewhat different and most definitely the weaker of the two, with links to travel, food, sports, festivals, and other cultural information, organized by region. The section also offers some world cams and a feature on visual culture, though the latter was not working at time of review. Note: Mac users should heed the site's warning to update their Flash and Shockwave plug-ins if need be, as the site may crash their browser if they don't have the most current versions. [MD]
[Back to Contents]All Academic: The Guide to Free Academic Resources Online
http://www.allacademic.com/
This professionally designed academic search engine and index offers a searchable database of scholarly articles and a browseable list of alphabetized links to online journals all available at no charge on the Web. The search results are listed in a choice of APA, MLA, or Chicago style and include abstracts for articles as well as the date of posting. Searches can be run by subject, author, publication, or article title. Scholars may post articles to the site -- subject to review. Clearly defined criteria are posted on-site, assuring that the content of the database remains academic and professional. Cleanly designed and easy-to-use, the site impressed us with the quality (if not always the quantity) of its search results, and we look forward to the possibility of this site developing into a major access point for free, high-quality scholarly publications on the Web. The Website was founded by Stephen Stolp, a professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and Rick Peacor, a graduate student in history at the same institution. [DC]
[Back to Contents]Child Health USA 2000 [.pdf]
ftp://158.72.84.9/ftp/mchb/chusa00.pdf
Health Resources and Services Administration
http://www.hrsa.gov/
Released on October 16, this new report from the Health Resources and Services Administration examines 59 health status indicators and service needs of America's children. Topics covered include children's health insurance coverage, infant mortality, low birth weight, vaccinations, adolescent birth rates, sexually transmitted diseases and pediatric AIDS. The full text of the report can be downloaded in .pdf format at the above URL. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Nuremberg War Crimes Trials Proceedings V.1 - V.22 Complete -- Avalon Project
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/imt.htm
The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School (originally reviewed in the April 4, 1997 Scout Report) has recently announced the availability of all 22 volumes of the proceedings before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Tables of contents for the volumes are accessed by volume number at the bottom of the page. A keyword search engine is also provided. The main page offers a number of additional resources as well, including motions, testimony, a variety of different primary documents, rules of procedure, and related online resources. The Avalon Project is to be thanked for making this key reference resource on the Nuremberg trials and Nazi war crimes so easily accessible. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Libdex
http://www.libdex.com/
Edited by Peter Scott, Internet Projects Manager at the University of Saskatchewan Libraries, this new directory indexes library homepages, Web-OPACs, Friends of Libraries pages, and library e-commerce affiliate links. The index is browseable by country, OPAC vendor, and Friends of the Libraries, or keyword searchable for libraries. Library entries include name, city, country, library type, and links to the library homepage and Web catalog. The site is advertiser-supported, but banner ads are limited to one per page. [MD]
[Back to Contents]PinkMonkey.com
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/index2.asp
This study aid site offers a host of resources for students and teachers from junior-high through college. Probably the most prominent of these are 100 Barron's Booknotes and 200 MonkeyNotes book summaries, searchable by keyword or browseable by title or author. The site also offers subject guides, SAT and GRE exam guides, a digital library of some 2,000 out-of-copyright works, college planning and test preparation advice, among others. Free registration is required, and the site is advertiser-supported, as is readily apparent. Still, there is quite a bit here, and the site as a whole is worth a look. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Before It's Too Late: A Report to the Nation from The National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century [.pdf, MS Word, RealPlayer]
http://www.ed.gov/inits/Math/glenn/
Released on September 27 by the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century, this 48-page report presents "a comprehensive plan to ensure that every American student receives excellent instruction in math and science." The report sets three goals and action strategies for meeting those goals. These are: establish an ongoing system to improve the quality of mathematics and science teaching in grades K-12, increase significantly the number of mathematics and science teachers and improve the quality of their preparation, and improve the working environment while making the teaching profession more attractive for K-12 mathematics and science teachers. At the site, users can read an executive summary and the official press release, view an archived Webcast, and download the full text in .pdf and Word formats. [MD]
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Masterpiece Theatre Online [Flash]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/
Masterpiece Theatre has joined the rest of PBS online with a nice collection of resources for current, past, and future programs. At the site, users will find a broadcast schedule for this season, teaching resources for the current and upcoming films (Oliver Twist and Cora Unashamed), an interactive literary timeline, a forum, and a free email newsletter. In addition, the site also contains an archive of past performances, including a searchable database, program chronology, and poster gallery. Fans of the program or particular films it has featured as well as teachers who use Masterpiece Theatre in the classroom will find plenty of interest. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Portraits of the Presidents from the National Portrait Gallery
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/travpres/index6.htm
This new online exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery features 61 paintings, sculptures, photographs, medals, and other likenesses of the Presidents, most of which have appeared in the Hall of Presidents. The images are arranged chronologically by President, with a brief summary of major events during the administration and some information on the painting or photograph. The portraits are offered as thumbnails which link to larger images. Images of several presidential medals are also available. [MD]
[Back to Contents]AdFlip.com
http://www.adflip.com/
Here's a site that's both fun and useful to students of American pop culture. Billing itself "the world's largest searchable database of classic print ads," AdFlip may be keyword searched or browsed by several methods. The ads are indexed by category (automotive, electronic, fashion, etc.), decade (1940s to current), and several specialty categories (ad as art, famous, advocacy, provocative [a few nudes here], today's top ten). Each collection of ads (presented as thumbnails) can be displayed by date, name, or ID number. Each of the decade collections can be further refined by a number of categories, such as automotive manufacturers, women's fashion, alcohol, and furniture and appliances, among others. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Belinus Press
http://www.belinus.co.uk/
Based in the UK, this site offers a number of full-text works and other resources related to fairy tales, mythology, folklore, and spiritualism. The main page is a portal to six sub-sites, the largest of which are the Celtic Folklore and Fairy Tales and Fables sites. Both pages are actively updated and feature the full text of numerous out-of-copyright works, as well as links to full-text stories at other sites and to various related resources. The other sites offer information and resources on mythologies, statues and memorials, channelling, and spiritualism. The sites could be better organized, but users interested in these topics will most likely find a number of items of use. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Yahoo Buzz Index
http://buzz.yahoo.com/
Ever wonder about the daily ebb and flow of net culture? With this new site, users can track the top subjects of daily searches at Yahoo! in five categories: television, sports, music, movies, and overall. For each category, the 20 top "movers" from two days previous are ranked by their "buzz score." The "buzz score" is "the percentage of users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read." The main page lists the top three in each category and links to the full listing for each. All of the subjects listed link to their respective search results. A quick and easy way to peek into what most people search for on the Web. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Four Resources for the Subway Series
Major League Baseball [RealPlayer, Windows Media Player]
http://www.majorleaguebaseball.com/
ESPN World Series 2000 [RealPlayer]
http://baseball.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2000/series?series=nymnyy
The Sporting News: Baseball
http://www.sportingnews.com/baseball/
Baseball Weekly
http://www.usatoday.com/bbwfront.htm
Its official, New York will host its first Subway Series since 1956 beginning tomorrow when the Mets travel all the way from Queens to the Bronx to take on the Yankees in Game One. Denizens of the Big Apple are of course ecstatic, while many baseball fans in the rest of the country have been a bit more restrained in their enthusiasm. Regardless of how they feel about the Subway Series, fans can follow all of the action with these four sites. The first, Major League Baseball's official site, offers archived audio and video highlights. Here fans can listen to MLB radio and look up stats, game recaps, standings, trivia, analysis, and more. At ESPN's site, users will find stats, analysis and commentary, a message board, and video and audio content. More stories and commentary, team reports, trivia, and other offerings are available at the Sporting News baseball site. Finally, Baseball Weekly (site hosted by USA Today) contains team reports, regular season awards, notebooks, rosters, and content from the print edition. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Three for Halloween
Halloween Central
http://rats2u.com/halloween/halloween_index.htm
Halloween Magazine
http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/
Carve a Perfect Pumpkin [RealPlayer, Windows Media Player]
http://www.learnfree-hobbies.com/designer-pumpkins/
Halloween is coming up, and these three sites will help readers prepare for an evening of ghouls, goblins, and other nasties. Halloween Central is a fairly extensive metasite with links to a wide variety of Halloween resources, including costumes, clip art, recipes, haunted houses, Halloween safety, and pumpkins, among many others. Halloween Magazine offers articles and stories, costumes and activity tips, decoration suggestions, and some notes for teachers. Hosted by LearnFree.com, the Carve a Perfect Pumpkin page contains detailed instructions and some video clips from Jerry Ayers, world-record holder for pumpkin carving. [MD]
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FindSame
http://www.findsame.com/
This interesting new search engine allows users to search for documents using large pieces of text rather than keywords. FindSame treats your search query as an entire document and returns a list of "documents that contain any fragment of that document that is longer than a certain length. That length is about one line of text." Alternatively, users can enter the URL of a document and FindSame will return pages that contain at least a few sentences that appear on that page. For instance, a test search using a random paragraph from Pride and Prejudice returned 20 hits, all of which were pages offering the full text or significant portions of the novel. The site suggests a number of uses for the engine, including using it to discover plagiarism in a student's report, checking to see if you have the most recent version of a given document, and tracking how selected press releases or speeches are being quoted online. From the search results page, users can either directly access the Webpages or display them side-by-side with the search text. [MD]
[Back to Contents]QuickTime 5 Public Preview [Macintosh]
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/preview/
Apple has released a public preview of the newest QuickTime player. Changes include a new interface, "skip protection," cubic virtual reality, and integrated Flash 4. All of the standard features from QuickTime 4.x are also included. Users may download the preview at the URL above, but it is currently only available for Mac. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Perldoc.com
http://www.perldoc.com/
CPAN: Comprehensive Perl Archive Network
http://www.cpan.org/
Created and maintained by Carlos Ramirez, this site aims to "provide a complete and up-to-date repository of documentation available to the Perl community," including bundled POD documentation as well as documentation of all modules available at the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN). The site contains six main sections: a Perl overview, Modules, Distribution Documents, PODs, Executables, and a FAQs Index. The site also offers some related links. [MD]
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Wake Up Little Squishy, Wake Up...
"Methuselan Microbes" -- Nature [.pdf]
http://www.nature.com/nature/fow/
"Pa. scientists say they awakened some very old bacteria" -- Philadelphia Inquirer
http://web.philly.com/content/inquirer/2000/10/19/front_page/ANCIENT19.htm
"Alive...after 250 million years" -- BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_978000/978774.stm
"Oldest Known Creatures Reawaken" -- Discovery News
http://www.discovery.com/news/briefs/20001018/ea_oldbugs.html
"'World's oldest living life form' brought to life" -- CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/10/18/oldest.microbe/index.html
"Scientists Rouse Bacterium from 250-million-year Slumber" -- Chicago Tribune
http://chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-0010190207,FF.html
"Oldest Living Bacteria Revived" -- Washington Post
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34365-2000Oct18.html
"Spores provide intimations of immortality" -- Christian Science Monitor
http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2000/10/19/fp2s2-csm.shtml
"Bacterial find supports theory life fell to Earth" -- Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2000/1019/fro3.htm
"Reviving Bacteria" -- All Things Considered [RealPlayer]
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/20001018.atc.17.rmm
Department of Biology -- West Chester University
http://www.wcupa.edu/_academics/sch_cas.bio/
Professors Russell H. Vreeland and William D. Rosenzweig say they have awakened a 250-million old bacteria found inside a salt crystal retrieved from deep underground in New Mexico. The bacteria was identified as a strain of Bacillus and a relative of another salt-loving bacteria, B. marisomortui. The findings, published in yesterday's Nature, easily surpass all previous longevity records for organisms revived from apparent suspended animation. The discovery has captured the imaginations of the press and the scientific community, and possibly lends support to those who argue that life fell to earth after drifting across space for countless millennia. There are also skeptics, of course, including those who argue that the bacteria the scientists grew in the lab were simply contemporary microbes that somehow got into their sample.
Readers can begin with a summary or the full text of the scientists's letter to Nature, available at the journal's site. Print reports on the discovery are available from the Philadelphia Inquirer, BBC News, CNN, Discovery News, Chicago Tribune,Washington Post,Christian Science Monitor, and Irish Times. An audio piece can be found at National Public Radio's All Things Considered, which featured a report on the bacterium on Wednesday. Finally, the homepage of the West Chester University Department of Biology offers a brief press release and more information on the scientists. [MD]
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