The Scout Report -- Volume 16, Number 25

http://www.justiceharvard.org/

Is it sometimes wrong to tell the truth? How much value does society place on a single human life? These are truly the "big questions" of human existence, and they (along with many others) are discussed at length by Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard over the course of his popular "Justice" class. Now anyone around the world can sit in Sanders Theater to partake in the course, courtesy of Harvard and WGBH. Visitors can view the 12-part lecture series in its entirety, and they will by privy to a wide-ranging set of conversations and dialogues between Professor Sandel and his students. On the homepage, visitors will find the link to the lectures, along with information about the course readings, several helpful discussion guides, and a place for visitors to join the conversation in an online discussion forum. [KMG]

http://www.maa.org/careers/

What can one do with a math degree? Quite a bit as it turns out, and this excellent website from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) provides a wide set of resources for those persons interested in the subject. This site contains information developed by math majors at Brigham Young University, a set of MAA Math classified ads, and career profiles. In the "Career Profiles" area, visitors can read up on profiles of math majors (current and former) who are working in fields such as academia, actuarial science, and the military. There's also a great feature here called "When Will I Use Math?" that contains first hand interviews with people who are using math at places like Google and other corporations. Overall, this site will be interesting to math educators, and college-level math majors thinking about what the future might bring. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://bestiary.ca/index.html

A bestiary is a book of beasts which originated in the Middle Ages. The book was a compilation of descriptions of beasts, and then the descriptions were used as bases for allegorical teachings. They were often illustrated, as most of the public was unable to read. In this large website of over 3000 pages, any and all aspects of animals of the middle ages are addressed, but there is an emphasis on the bestiaries. Visitors interested in learning about the classification of the families of the bestiaries, including in the ones in Latin and French, should click on "Manuscripts" on the homepage menu, and then click on "Family" under the "Categories" heading. There is an abundance of information in the "Family" link, and links within it. Visitors interested in seeing what these often fantastical beasts look like, should click on "Beasts" on the homepage menu, and then view them "alphabetically" or via a "cross reference index". The cross reference index gives the common name for the beast, in brackets, so visitors looking for particular animals can find them easiest there. [KMG]

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA28/010/2010/en/2791c659-7e4d-4922-87e0-940faf54b92c/asa280102010en.pdf

The situation for many refugees around the world is quite dire, and every year, World Refugee Day seeks to educate the public about some of the issues surrounding refugees around the globe. In June 2010, Amnesty International released this 20-page report which reveals a "litany of abuses suffered by refugees in Malaysia, the vast majority of whom are from Myanmar." Among other findings, the report notes that refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia are subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention in atrocious conditions, caning, and human trafficking. One potential solution to this problem is the introduction of government ID cards for UN-recognized refugees. The report includes a methodology section and a set of proposed policy solutions. [KMG]

http://priv-war.eu/

What does it mean to have private military companies involved in the conduct of war? This is a subject of interest to the European University Institute, and a host of other partners, including the University of Sheffield and the Riga Graduate School of Law. The purpose of the PRIV-WAR project is to "assess the impact of the increasing use of private military companies and security companies in situations of armed conflict." The project was started in 2008, and on their website interested parties can learn about their activities and click on to the "Publications" area. The working papers are quite worthy of special attention, and they include "Passing the Buck: State Responsibility for Private Military Companies" and "A History of Private Warfare". Moving on, visitors can also use the "News" area to peruse a chronological listing of their publication records and conference activities. [KMG]

http://library.getty.edu:7101/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First

The Getty Museum has many powerful research tools available on its website, including online reference materials and exhibition listings from around the world. One of their most powerful tools is their Bibliography of the History of Art. This tremendous resource allows visitors to draw on international sources to find important references across the world of art history. Visitors can use the basic search function to perform a simple search via keyword or title, or they may wish to perform a detailed advanced search. Each search will return a detailed record, and even a basic search for the word "triptych" returns over 700 results. The website also contains a help section, and a contact email for visitors who require additional assistance. [KMG]

http://www.migrationinformation.org/?mpi

As a publication of the Migration Policy Institute, the Migration Information Source "provides fresh thought, authoritative data from numerous global organizations and governments, and global analysis of international migration and refugee trends." Their well-organized homepage offers policy briefs, "Spotlight" features (including a recent one on Indian immigrants in the United States), and information about their ongoing projects. Policy makers and scholars will love the "Immigration Data Hub" area. Here they can get valuable data on state responses to immigrations, the top global destinations for Irish immigrants, as well as historical immigration data. Visitors can also use the "US in Focus" area to find out about specific immigration trends throughout the country, with a special focus on policy issues affecting states and urban areas. The site is rounded out by an RSS feed, a press room of recent news releases, and a glossary of terms. [KMG]

http://www.sportsci.org/index.html

Professor Will Hopkins of AUT University in Auckland has been working in the world of sport science for decades, and his website is a crucial resource for people interested in such matters. The Sportscience website features a peer-reviewed journal, information about sport science research methodologies, and thematic areas on sports medicine, sport nutrition, and statistics. On the right-hand side of the site's homepage, visitors can look over the "Articles/Slideshows" area for helpful pieces on controlled trials, assessing athletes, and sample-size estimation. Moving back to the journal, visitors have access to all of the past issues, and they can take advantage of the sophisticated search engine to look for specific materials. Finally, visitors to the site will also want to sign up to join the email list. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

The LEED certification is an internationally recognized green building certification which provides third-party verification that "a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most." These metrics include energy savings, C02 emissions reduction, and improved indoor environmental quality. On this site provided by the US Green Building Council, visitors can learn about the LEED system and also learn about ongoing improvements to the system. Here visitors will find sections that include "LEED Rating Systems", "Project Certification", and "Professional Certification". One area that's particularly helpful is the "LEED Resources" area. Visitors can look through this area to find online reference guides about the LEED certification system and sample templates for use with the LEED system. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.merce.org/studio/mondays-with-merce.php

The Merce Cunningham Dance Studio is one of the most celebrated in the United States. Even though Merce Cunningham passed away in 2009, this collection of free webcasts remains a fine resource for people with an interest in dance. Visitors to the site can go behind the scenes at the studio to see Merce teach advanced technique class and conduct rehearsals. These videos were taken as part of a partnership between the Cunningham Dance Foundation and New York University's Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program. Currently, there are eleven episodes on the site available for general viewing. They include "The Fundamentals" and "Dancing for Merce". Along with watching these episodes, visitors can also learn about the studio, their workshops, and their performance schedule. [KMG]

http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/naai/

In September 1934, a photographic exhibition came to Rockefeller Plaza, and it was sponsored by the National Alliance of Art and Industry (NAAI) and the Photographic Illustrators, Inc. The show featured 250 different works by the most accomplished commercial and artistic photographers of the period. One year later, 125 prints from the NAAI exhibition came to reside at the Harvard Business School. 75 years later, the Harvard Business School's Baker Library elected to create this digital collection featuring some of the compelling images. The images here are divided into six different areas, including "Challenge of Color", "Breaking Down Barriers", and "Dream Realities". The images include innovative photographs that promote face powders, women's shoes, and so on. It's a thoughtful collection and one that will delight persons with an interest in photography, commercial design, and fashion. [KMG]

http://myloc.gov/exhibitions/astheoldsing/Pages/default.aspx

This Library of Congress website features an exhibition that "takes its inspiration from the musical and verbal relationship between birds and flutes." Not only are their 1,500 flutes and other wind instruments in this collection given to the Library of Congress by a scientist in 1941, there are also "books, prints, photographs, music, correspondence, trade catalogs, [and] statuary." Visitors are encouraged to go to the "Multimedia" section of the website for a three-minute selection of bird-like tunes for the flute from "Bird Fancyer's Delight", which is from a CD called For the Birds. A less bird-like, but equally beautiful, seven-minute piece called "Sonata quarta per canto e b. c." from 1664 can also be found in the Multimedia section. The "Exhibition Items" section of the website can be viewed by "theme", such as "Chatter", "Warble" or "Twitter", or "Alphabetically". Visitors should click on "View Fullscreen" to see the items in all their glory. [KMG]

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

Home canning and food preservation is very much alive in parts of the United States, and the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service has canners', picklers', and curers'/smokers' interests at heart. The Center advises people on how to can foods safely, along with offering recipes for how to make delicious foods. The most notable freebie the website offers visitors is "Preserving Food at Home: A Self-Study". It is a self-paced, online course that teaches "Introduction to Food Preservation", "General Canning", "Canning Acid Foods", and "Canning Low-Acid Foods". The "Multimedia" section has "Videos", "Slideshows", "Graphics Galleries", and "Tutorials" to make the process of canning, pickling, drying, and freezing come to life. The "Graphics Galleries" are for those who give presentations, papers, lectures, etc., for educational and not-for-profit purposes. Some of the galleries include a "Drying Gallery", "Equipment Gallery", "Pickling Gallery", and a "Raw Foods Gallery". [KMG]

http://teenshealth.org/teen/

The non-profit health organization Nemours has developed a website that is just for teens and their health issues. The health issues covered on the site include growth and emotions, as well as other bodily health issues. The categories of health issues that are covered include "Food & Fitness", "Infections", "School & Jobs", and "Mind". On the homepage visitors will find several colorful boxes with different themes, such as "Hot Topics", "Expert Answers On...", a "Quiz", and "Featured Articles". Some of the "Featured Articles" are on golf safety tips, strength training, and smart snacking. The current "Quiz" question is about insomnia, and once the question is answered, visitors can click "Find Out More" and read about (or listen to) information on nine different sleep problems facing teens. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.poynterextra.org/cp/colorproject/color.html

This website is described as an "interactive color experience that explains color theory and shows how to use it in design through examples and exercises" and it is based on a book by the same name. Visitors can go through the eight sections in sequence, which is recommended, or they can scroll over the circles in the "Navigate by Section" to go directly to a topic. "The Power of Color", the first lesson, is about how color affects mood, and visitors can see this for themselves when given the chance to change the colors of a Van Gogh painting to grays, then blues, and back to its hot reds and yellows. The "Color, Contrast and Dimension" lesson allows visitors, using colored blocks, to change their colors so they seem to fade into the background or come into the foreground, based on the percentage of color they have in them. An exercise on hue, using a Robert Henri painting, gives visitors the opportunity to change the hue of some of the colors in the painting, and see how it affects contrast. [KMG]

http://www.imamuseum.org/art/exhibitions/tara-donovan

The Indiana Museum of Art (IMA) presents this exhibition of the work of Tara Donovan, considered one of the most innovative artists working today. Donovan uses everyday manufactured materials such as Elmer's glue, plastic cups, pencils, and tar paper to create large sculptural installations. Donovan spends time accumulating a large body of materials before she decides what can be done with it. Some of the works featured in the exhibition are Colony, 2005, thousands of pencils of varying lengths arranged in upright positions and Strata, 2000 - 2001, overlapping puddles of solidified Elmer's glue. Due to the nature of her work, each installation of a Donovan piece varies slightly, thus the IMA commissioned a new-room size installation, Untitled (Molecule), 2010, especially for the exhibition. On the exhibition's website visitors will find a slideshow of Donovan's works, visitors should also click on "About the Exhibition", which will lead visitors to an introduction to the exhibit as well as several blog entries and a video. [DS]

http://omeka.org/

So maybe you have a clutch of photos or documents that would like to transform into a digital collection? Omeka can help you out with that. This web-publishing platform allows users to set up an online exhibition quickly, and it is designed with non-IT specialists in mind. The program also has features and plugins that information science specialists will enjoy, including Dublin Core metadata standards and customizable item fields. This version requires a web server with a Linux operating system, Apache HTTP server, MySQL version 5.0 or greater, PHP version 5.2.4 or greater, and ImageMagick. If users are interested in installing Omeka in a VMWare virtual machine running Ubuntu Linux on Mac and Windows desktop platforms, instructions are also provided. [KMG]

http://www.desksoft.com/HardCopy.htm

The HardCopy Pro program is a great way to capture screens of interest that might be of later use in a professional or recreational setting. Visitors can use the program to capture rectangular screen areas, and then manipulate the images via a cropping tool. Additionally, they can use the application to save the images in a variety of file formats. This version is free for 30 days, and it is compatible with computers running Windows XP and newer. [KMG]

Integrating Services a Key to Homelessness Plan
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10985475

Shelter residents, operators react to U.S. Homeless plan
http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x383282834/Shelter-residents-operators-react-to-U-S-homeless-plan

Obama builds on Bush success to help the homeless
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2010/0622/Obama-builds-on-Bush-success-to-help-the-homeless

A 1% fix for homelessness
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/49752645-73/percent-homeless-housing-homelessness.html.csp

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness [pdf]
http://www.usich.gov/

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Homelessness Resource Exchange [pdf]
http://www.hudhre.info/index.cfm

Addressing the problems of the homeless population is a multi-faceted undertaking, and many different governmental agencies have tried novel approaches recently. For example, a coalition of groups in Seattle opened a residential facility several years ago where homeless persons who were dependent on alcohol could drink openly while living in the facility. This Tuesday, the White House made an announcement that a new effort called "Opening Doors" would be utilized to offer a new approach on the federal level to dealing with homelessness. The basic premise behind this approach is that better coordination among the "many agencies that try to help homeless people find employment and health care as well as stable places to live" is a crucial step to ending homelessness entirely. One of the key components of this plan is to also add housing vouchers for low-income families and affordable rental units in the short-term. The hope is that chronic homelessness (where people tend to cycle through shelters and hospitals) can be effectively alleviated with the implementation of this policy. [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a story from ABC News about the recent announcement from the White House about this new plan. The second link will lead users to an article from the Joplin Globe which takes a look at reactions from residents and operators of homeless shelters in Joplin, MO. The third link will take users to an editorial from this Tuesday's Christian Science Monitor which discusses the work of the Bush administration on a similar plan to end chronic homelessness. Moving on, the fourth link leads to a thoughtful article from the Salt Lake Tribune which talks about the movement to encourage Utahns to pledge 1 percent of one year's income to generate an endowment to solve homelessness in the state. The fifth link will whisk users to the homepage of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Here visitors can learn about the details of this plan and consider statistics on homelessness. The last and final link leads to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Homelessness Resource Exchange website. The site contains information for those people "assisting persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless." [KMG]