New Managing Editor
The Internet Scout Project would like to welcome John Morgan to the position of Managing Editor. I would like to thank all of our readers that took the time to comment on my work during my tenure here at ISP. Your comments have consistently improved the quality and depth of our reports. Best of luck to John, and I will miss producing the reports each week. [TS]
[Back to Contents]
NSDL Scout Reports for the Life Sciences and Physical Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/life-sci/2003/ls-030530.html
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/phys-sci/2003/ps-030530.html
The eleventh issues of the second volumes of the Life Sciences Report and Physical Sciences Report are available. The Topic in Depth section of Life Sciences Report annotates sites on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The Physical Sciences Report's Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and comments about understanding pH.
[Back to Contents]
Einstein Archives Online
http://www.alberteinstein.info/
Officially released on the Web last week, this impressive digital archive features the writings, scholarship, and thoughts of Albert Einstein, one of the 20th century's greatest scientists. The site allows visitors to view and browse 3,000 high-quality digitized images of Einstein's writings, ranging from his travel diaries (many of which are in German) to his published and unpublished scholarly manuscripts. The online archive draws on the manuscripts held by the Albert Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was produced by the Jewish National & University Library's Digitization Project. Additionally, visitors have access to the archive database, which contains 43,000 records of Einstein related documents, such as his notebooks and third-party items. More casual visitors will want to visit the online gallery, which contains a selection of some of the key documents available here, such as his famous article that mentions the equation E=mc2. Overall, this is a thoroughly engaging and informative trove of digitized material on one of the world's most respected scientists. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Stunning Progress, Hidden Problems: The Dramatic Decline of Concentrated Poverty in the 1990s [pdf]
http://www.brookings.edu/es/urban/publications/jargowskypoverty.pdf
The issue of concentrated poverty is one that continues to engage the attention of social workers, politicians, and scholars alike. In this intriguing 24-page report from the Brooking Institution's Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, Paul A. Jargowsky presents findings that suggest that concentrated poverty declined significantly during the 1990s. Some of his findings include statistics indicating that the number of people living in high-poverty neighborhoods declined by 24 percent, and that concentrated poverty declined among all racial and ethnic groups, especially African-Americans. The methodology section is quite helpful, as it explains the exact definition of "high-poverty concentrations" and the federal government standards for poverty levels. Additionally, the report contains numerous tables, graphs, and charts that document this transformation, including several organized maps detailing this change in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Chicago. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Theatrecrafts.com
http://www.theatrecrafts.com/
Developed in part by the University of Exeter's School of Performance Art (with the help of Jon Primrose), the aim of Theatrecrafts.com is "to eventually be the best resource for practical information and advice about technical theatre techniques for theatre folk at any level." The site is divided into a number of thematic sections where browsers can go to find out information about props, lighting, rigging, sound, and stage management, along with eleven other topics. For those looking to find out about a particular theatre term, they should take a look at the online glossary, which contains over 1400 terms. The glossary is searchable by first letter, word, or for fun, there is a random word finder as well. The costume section is also rather useful, as it features links to online costume galleries, sites featuring research on costumes, and a link to businesses that supply and rent costumes to theatre organizations. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
The Norman Lear Center: Studying Entertainment at USC [pdf, RealOne Player]
http://www.learcenter.org
Located at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication, the Norman Lear Center is a "multidisciplinary research and public policy center exploring implications of the convergence of entertainment, commerce, and society." Named for the celebrated television writer and director, the Center offers a broad range of programs including the sponsorship of visiting fellows, conferences, public events, and several publications series. The online publication section is quite strong, containing over 40 current publications in the pdf format, and addressing such topics as the media in Afghanistan and African-American comedians commentaries on the events of 9/11. Additionally, the publications can be searched by title, author, and theme. Finally, the site contains information about the undergraduate and graduate programs supported by the Center, along with details about the current staff members and fellows in residence. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Augustine of Hippo
http://georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/augustine/
Augustine of Hippo is arguably one of the most scholarly saints. As one of the most important Western philosophers, Augustinge is often noted for his wrestling with the ideas of the Manicheans and eventually for his conversion to Christianity. Born in what is now modern-day Algeria, Augustine spent a good deal of his life as an administrator in northern Africa and left a voluminous body of writings. These include the two works most familiar to the public, "Confessions" and "The City of God Against the Pagans." Visitors to this site, developed by Professor James O'Donnell (now the provost of Georgetown University), will find a number of Augustine's most important works (in a number of translations) here, along with critical commentaries and research materials of note. For anyone interested in the substantial philosophical and theological musings of Augustine, this site will prove to be most enlightening. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Uncle Sam's Reference Shelf: County and City Data Book
http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html
Uncle Sam's Reference Shelf: County and City Data Book contains official population and housing data from the 2000 Census plus business and other data for all US counties, cities with 25,000 or more inhabitants, and places of 2,500 or more inhabitants. Information includes percent population change by state; counties with populations of one million or more; top 40 cities by population; state, county, and city area and population; population by age, race, and sex; relevant maps, and much more. The PDF files include easy-to-read tables and graphs making the information an easily-accessible source of the country's latest geographic data. This site is also reviewed in the May 30, 2003 NSDL Physical Sciences Report. [JAB]
[Back to Contents]
New-Model Scholarship: How Will it Survive? [pdf]
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub114/pub114.pdf
This important 55-page report originated out of meeting held in 2002 by the Council on Library and Information Resources that brought together scholars, librarians, archivists, publishers, and other concerned parties to discuss the preservation of digital scholarly resources. Authored by Abby Smith (March 2003), this timely work is informed by these discussions, and offers some initial appraisals of the challenges that libraries face as they attempt to ensure long-term access to the "new-model scholarship" that is predicated around access to various digital archives and projects. The paper primarily explores these new types of emerging scholarship, including those that are open-ended, experimental, software-intensive, and multimedia in nature. Continuing on how libraries might best take on the role of managing these scholarly resources, the work looks at several potential modes of operation, such as the enterprise and community-based models. Thorough in its scope, this paper will be of great interest to those working on digital archive projects, and colleagues working in ancillary fields and organizations. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
World Environment Day 5 June [pdf]
http://www.unep.org/wed/2003/
This Web site introduces the United Nations Environment Programme's World Environment Day (WED), hosted this year in Beirut. World Environment Day is "one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action." This year's theme is "Water -- Two Billion People are Dying for It." Features available on the Web site include downloadable informational material, descriptions of WED events planned around the world, a fantastic collection of water-related photos from UNEP's International Photographic Competition, and much more. The site also includes a quiz where users can test their understanding of water resources and responsible water usage. Also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish. This site is also reviewed in the May 30, 2003 NSDL Life Sciences Report. [RS]
[Back to Contents]
Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/
Cornell University Library's seven-millionth volume is an 1865 edition of Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, containing one-hundred original photographic prints, mounted on boards and accompanied by letterpress-printed captions. Thirty prints are presented at this Web site, which combines the best of historical photography, digitization, and hyperlinked navigation. The images are divided into seven thematic sections, or by selecting the Images link at the main page, titles of all thirty pictures are displayed in a table. Cropped versions are laid out on pages with the original captions, and full-sized images can be viewed by clicking. Some page layouts are striking; see Pontoon Bridge Across the Rappahannock Virginia, May, 1863, in the Devastated by the Army section. Despite their grim subjects - A Harvest of Death Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1863, shows dead Union soldiers on the battlefield - many of the photographs are quite beautiful. [DS]
[Back to Contents]
Lists of Bests
http://www.listsofbests.com/
Maintained by Bill Turner (a programmer for Yahoo), this irreverent site is a helpful and entertaining compilation of "best of" lists. Culled from a variety of sources, along with several lists created especially for the Web site, Turner got the idea for the site after deciding to attempt to read all the books on the Random House "Best 100 Books of the 20th Century." Currently, the site's lists are divided into the categories of books, movies, and music. The music section has some interesting lists, including "The Guardian's Alternative Top 100 Albums Ever," "Album of the Year" Grammy Award Winners, and Rolling Stone's "Readers' 100." The book section features close to twenty lists, including "The 100 Best Lesbian and Gay Novels," "Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports Books of All Time," and the Hugo Award Winners list. While every "best of" list tends to raise eyebrows, visitors will find this site a real delight and a source of real fodder for heated debates and discussions with colleagues and friends. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Into the Wardrobe: A Web Site Devoted to C.S. Lewis [mp3]
http://cslewis.drzeus.net/
C.S. Lewis was a man who wore many hats during his lifetime, although he is best remembered today by the general public as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia series. However, Lewis also published ground-breaking works that examined the function of allegory in medieval literature and was respected for his Christian apologetics. This site honors Lewis's life and substantial body of work, and was developed by an aficionado of his works. Visitors to the site can peruse a brief biographical sketch of Lewis, along with browsing through a bibliography of his published works. The "Related Resources" section is quite helpful, as it contains links to sites dealing with his contemporaries, including Madeleine L'Engle, G.K. Chesterton, and J.R.R. Tolkien. The multimedia section of the site is quite compelling, as it contains a large photo gallery and a selection of audio clips. The clips feature Lewis talking about the idea of Christian love, and noted thespians Anthony Quayle, Ian Richardson, and Claire Bloom reading selections from his novels. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
John Coltrane [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.johncoltrane.com
This visually-appealing and musically-enhanced site serves as the official John Coltrane site, developed by the John Coltrane Foundation as a home for information about one of the most influential jazz musicians of the past century. Over his brilliant music career, Coltrane was responsible for creating many albums that have become jazz standards, such as "My Favorite Things," "Africa Brass," Giant Steps," and the provocative and cerebral "Interstellar Space." On the site, visitors can read about Coltrane's life and musical legacy, along with listening to one of fifteen Coltrane classics, including "Central Park West," "Naima," or his tender rendition of "Nancy (with the Laughing Face)." Another multimedia facet of the site are the videos available, featuring Coltrane's legendary solo "So What" from "The Sound of Miles Davis" television special and the only solo live rendering of "A Love Supreme" recorded in Antibes, France in 1965. The site is rounded out with information about the John Coltrane Foundation (established to provide scholarships to outstanding young musicians) and an online store. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
The Spirit of Islam: Experiencing Islam Through Calligraphy
http://www.moa.ubc.ca/spiritofislam/
Designed as a collaboration between members of local Muslim communities in the lower mainland of British Columbia and staff members of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, this site was "conceived through the spirit of calligraphy, to frame the aesthetics, spirituality and principals of education relating to the world of Islam." Visitors will want to start by viewing the Flash Reader introduction, which offers a broad overview of the Arabic alphabet, its script, the art of this form of written expression, and contemporary calligraphy. Along with offering detailed information about the practice of calligraphy and its importance within Muslim culture and faith, visitors have the ability to listen to Canadian Muslims speak about their faith, their communities, and their relationships with other groups of fellow Canadians. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Columbia News Video Briefs Archive [RealOne Player]
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/media/03/index.html
Columbia News Video Forum Archive [RealOne Player]
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/vforum/03/index.html
Over the past few years, more and more universities and colleges have created video archives of important and timely conferences, proceedings, scholarly lectures, and have placed them online. Columbia University has created these two fine archives that highlight many of these types of events, with many of them featuring the scholars in residence at the school. The first site features brief (usually 3 to 5 minutes) clips of various academics talking about any number of topics. The archive stretches back to 1999, and some highlights include Manning Marable discussing race in the 21st century, Sudhir Venkatesh on the transformation of public housing in the United States, and Andrew Delbanco on the genius of Herman Melville. The video forum archive features thematically bundled commentaries (usually lasting close to one hour) on a variety of topics, such as globalization (featuring Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz), and the 21st century American city, which features Bernard Tschumi and Kenneth Jackson, the noted urban historian. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Cknow.com: Definitions/ Acronyms/ Abbreviations
http://www.cknow.com/ckinfo/
With the exponential growth of computer technology there has been a veritable explosion of related terms, definitions, and acronyms associated with the multitude of computer products, software, and hardware. Fortunately for those persons looking for a guide to this -- at times -- arcane argot, the Computer Knowledge Web site has developed this handy database listing many of these acronyms, definitions, and abbreviations. Clicking on any letter of their database from A-Z will return a number of acronyms, complete with definitions, and links to outside sites of note. The site also features links to a file extension database and listing of top country domains utilized by various nations around the world. Besides these basic functions the site also has a listing emoticons, which are ways of demonstrating an emotional state in plain text messages. Some of the more interesting examples include: 7:) (to represent Ronald Reagan) and P) (to represent a pirate). [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
MakingMusic 2 [QuickTime]
http://homepage.mac.com/davidahmed/makingmusic.html
Making Music 2 is an online musical instrument encyclopedia providing an image of the instrument and a short sound clip as well. The encyclopedia covers many instruments, including the accordion, banjos, bongos, and the bassoon. Along with the image and the sound clip, a brief description of each instrument is included, and in some cases additional links are provided. Making Music is an ongoing Freeware project, so interested users may elect to help out by submitting information about instruments not previously covered in the encyclopedia. Making Music 2.0 is compatible with all systems running Mac 0S 10.2 and higher. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Copernic Agent Basic 6.1
http://www.copernic.com/en/products/agent/basic.html
Copernic Agent Basic 6.1 is a powerful application that accesses over 90 information sources to return up to 300 results per search engine. This latest release of Copernic Agent includes country-based search categories (for refined searches), improved advanced result filtering features, and simplified installation process. Another nice aspect of the application is that it is available in English, French, German, or Spanish. For users seeking more information, the Copernic Agent Web site features a section that answers questions about installing the application, along with screen shots and information about previous versions. Copernic Agent Basic 6.1 is compatible with all systems running Windows 95 and higher. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]
Comedian and Entertainer Bob Hope Turns 100
Bob Hope: A Million Laughs, a Singular Talent
http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/28/hope.appreciation/index.html
Bob Hopes Century
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/149/nation/Bob_Hope_s_Century+.shtml
Signs Indicate a Happy 100th Is in the Cards for Bob Hope [QuickTime, RealOne Player]
http://www.calendarlive.com/la-et-hope29may29.story
Official Web Site of Bob Hope
http://www.bobhope.com
Faces of Bob Hope: Bob Hope and American Variety
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/bobhope/faces.html
Bing Crosby Internet Museum
http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/pennvalley/biology/lewis/crosby/bing.htm
Born on May 29, 1903 in England, Bob Hope (who is sometimes affectionately referred to as "Old Ski Slope"), turned 100 yesterday. From his early days in vaudeville (where he and a partner were once the opening act for Fatty Arbuckle), Hope went on to legendary status as a comedian working on radio, film, and later, television. While Hope is unable to attend the public celebrations being held in his honor due to his poor health, hundreds of gifts and letters descended on his compound in Toluca Lake, California, where he has lived since 1939. Several states declared his birthday "Bob Hope Day" (including New Hampshire and California), and the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage has been offering cookies decorated with an image of his distinctive profile the entire week. Many of the cards and letters arrived from former and current members of the Armed Forces, which is not surprising considering Hopes many junkets to entertain troops overseas during the past sixty years.
The first link leads to a CNN.com special report on Bob Hopes long entertainment career, and includes a nice interactive filmography that chronicles his six-decade career in film, including such comedy gems as "The Lemon Drop Kid" and "The Paleface." The second link leads to an article from the Boston Globe by Joseph Kahn about the celebrations in honor of Hopes birthday. The third link leads to another story from the Los Angeles Times about the many gifts and letters sent to Hope on his birthday. The link also includes some fine audio clips (such as his signature song, "Thanks for the Memories"), and film clips from "Road to Morocco" and "Spies Like Us." The fourth link takes visitors to the official Bob Hope Web site, which contains an extended biography of Bob Hope and details his many accomplishments and his life-long passion for the sport of golf. The fifth link takes visitors to a fun online exhibit developed by the Library of Congress featuring the many renderings (such as sculptures, drawings, and neckties) of Hope's unmistakable visage. The final link takes visitors to an online museum containing a host of visual and written material about the life and career of Mr. Hopes longtime friend and cinematic partner, "Der Bingle," or as most might call him, Bing Crosby.
[Back to Contents]
Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2003. http://www.scout.wisc.edu/
The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:
Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2003. The Internet Scout Project (http://www.scout.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
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, or the National Science Foundation.
The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout Project staff page.
