The Scout Report

May 22, 1998

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

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.

An Acrobat .pdf version of this report is available for printing and distributing locally. For information on Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe site.

Internet Scout Project Partners With SurfWatch, Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
SurfWatch Secure Learning Program
http://www1.surfwatch.com/products/edued/secure.html
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/socsci/
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/bus-econ/
The Internet Scout Project announced this week that it has been selected by Surfwatch Software as one of only five "Content Partners" for the Surfwatch Educational Edition(TM), a new product designed to lead students to valuable content on the Internet. Internet Scout joins the Children's Television Workshop (producers of Sesame Street), Yahooligans, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and Nevasoft as providers of highly selective, educational, and appropriate web content for the classroom environment that can be accessed through the Secure Learning Program(TM). The seventeenth issues of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. Each Report annotates over twenty new and newly-discovered Internet resources. The In the News section of the Social Sciences Report annotates ten resources on the nuclear tests in India. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section annotates eight resources related the US Department of Justice's antitrust case against Microsoft. [SC,JS]
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Numerical Grid Generation: Foundations and Applications [frames]
http://www.erc.msstate.edu/education/gridbook/index.html
Joe F. Thompson, Director of the NSF/Engineering Research Center for Computational Field Simulation and Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Mississippi State University, has made available full text of his 1985 textbook. The book is available via a framed interface, with text in the center frame, the eleven chapter table of contents in the right frame, and subdivisions of each chapter in the left frame. Note that graphics and equations are generated as images; hence downloading of chapters can be a lengthy process. [JS]
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New Browse Feature for the Federal Register Online Via GPO Access
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html
As of May 19, 1998, a new browse feature is available for the US Government Printing Office's Federal Register database. The "Browse the Table of Contents of the current issue" function is offered in both HTML and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Each document is available in text and .pdf format. In addition, users may browse all issues of the Register dating from January 2, 1998 forward. [MD]
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Jurist Books on Law
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/lawbooks/index.htm
This site, a recent addition to Professor Bernard Hibbitts' Jurist site (discussed in the April 11, 1997 Scout Report), is a monthly publication edited by Ronald Collins and David Skover of the Seattle University School of Law. Highlight of the site, of course, is the review section, with five to ten reviewed new books (excluding casebooks and textbooks) per issue. There are also notices of new books in 37 subject categories, one review of an old book, and a list of law publishers. The May 1998 issue is a special issue on Closed Chambers: The First Eyewitness Account of the Epic Struggles Inside the Supreme Court, by Edward Lazarus. It includes a RealPlayer interview with the author (transcript available), in addition to six commentaries. [JS]
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"The 21st Century Retirement Security Plan"--NCRP
http://www.csis.org/retire/retireplan.html
The National Commission on Retirement Policy, a bipartisan commission made up of leaders from the US Congress and the private sector has released "The 21st Centry Retirement Security Plan." The report outlines a plan that aims to "contribute to the long-term growth of the economy, without requiring tax increases or burdening future generations." The recommendations in the report include putting two percent of current payroll tax into Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), allowing for additional voluntary contributions to ISAs up to $2,000, gradually increasing the mandatory retirement age to 70 and making retirement benefits from employer-sponsored plans portable. [JS]
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E-STREAMS: Electronic Reviews of Science & Technology References Covering Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine and Science
http://www.e-streams.com/
This collaborative effort, spearheaded by H. Robert Malinowski (Professor and Manager of Collections Development and Reference at the University of Illinois at Chicago) and Yankee Book Peddler, Inc., is a monthly ezine that features twelve to twenty brief signed reviews of reference titles in major scientific fields. Included with the reviews are bibliographic and pricing information, a table of contents, subject headings and the credentials of the reviewer. Issues are provided via the web and listserv (subscription instructions are available at the site). As it grows, E-STREAMS should prove an invaluable aid to science librarians, as well as educators. [JS]
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Investigating the Renaissance: Examining Material Aspects of Three Early Netherlandish Paintings Using Digital Imaging Techniques--HUAM [Shockwave]
http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/Renaissance/index.html
The Harvard University Art Museums provide this fascinating site, a technologically enhanced look at three Netherlandish Renaissance Paintings: Portrait of a Man (Master of the 1540s), The Virgin and Child (Workshop of Dirck Bouts), and The Last Judgement (Jan Provoost). Designed to demonstrate how scientific techniques can aid in both art conservation and education, the site provides images of the paintings with selected details, as well as explanations of infrared reflectography, X-radiography and ultraviolet light. Highlight of the site, however, is the "examples" section, which includes a detailed examination (click in the red boxes), a three step cleaning guide, and a multi-layered view. In the multi-layered view, Shockwave based comparisons of visible light with infrared and x-ray views of the painting are available. [JS]
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Center for Multilingual Multicultural Research--USC CMMR [frames]
http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CMMR/
Site Index
http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~cmmr/cmmrhomepage.html#siteindex
At the heart of the University of Southern California's Center for Multilingual Multicultural Research site are its annotated links to resources in eleven topical categories, including paraeducator resources, bilingual and multicultural resources, and technology in education resources. In addition, there are annotated links to African-American, Latino/Hispanic American, Asian-American, and Native American resources, as well as full text articles in the topic. For those who prefer a non-frames based organization, the site index provides a quick and easy guide to content. [JS]
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Guide to Grammar and Writing [Javascript, Java]
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/
Charles Darling, Professor of English/Humanities at Capital Community-Technical College (Hartford, Connecticut), provides this site, a compendium of English grammar, usage, and writing information at the sentence, paragraph, and essay levels. Each section contains easily understood information about concepts related to the topic. Most sections contain answered quizzes. These 76 quizzes are also available in a separate section. An index to the 142 grammar and writing topics covered is also available separately. A bibliography and "Ask Grammar" site, among other features, are also provided. [JS]
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US v. Microsoft
US v. Microsoft--DOJ [.pdf]
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/ms_index.htm
Index of Microsoft's Legal Documents
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/doj/library.htm
Micorsoft Press Pass
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/
Is Microsoft the Standard Oil of the 1990's? Is Bill Gates the John D. Rockefeller of the 1990's? Of course, no one can say, but for those interested in following the upcoming battle between the US Department of Justice and the giant software company, these three sites offer a ringside seat at the battle, likely to be a long and bloody one. The Department of Justice Antitrust Division provides the first site, a full text history of the four cases thus far brought against Microsoft, including the latest web browser case brought May 18, 1998. Included are complaints, motions, briefs, consent decrees, court orders, and judgements. Note that some files are available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format only. Microsoft intends to wage a spirited battle. Its legal documents site contains court briefs, replies, and motions since November 1997. Microsoft's Press Pass page is, and will continue to be, the headquarters for its attempt to win the hearts and minds of the computing public in the battle. At present, it contains articles on competition and innovation in the software industry, background papers, and a letter from Bill Gates to "customers, partners, and shareholders," among other features. [JS]
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National Transportation Statistics Online--DOT BTS
http://www.bts.gov/ntda/nts/
Transportation Statistics Annual Report [.pdf]
http://www.bts.gov/programs/transtu/tsar/prod.html
The US Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics provides this site, an electronic only version of a 1998 report that was previously available in print. It is composed of 184 tables (HTML or Excel spreadsheet format) in four chapters and an appendix covering general transportation, the transportation economy, transportation safety, and energy and the environment (under Reports and Products). Tables are time series, usually in five year increments from 1960 to 1990, and annually thereafter. Tables are current to 1995 or 1996. In addition, there is a glossary and bibliography that details references for the tables. The BTS also provides Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR), a companion to NTS, in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, for 1994 to 1997 at this time. Transportation in the United States: A Review, summarizing these four reports, is also available. [JS]
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Return to Midway--National Geographic Online [Javascript]
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/98/midway/
NPR All Things Considered Interview With Dr. Robert Ballard [RealPlayer]
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/980519.yorktown.html
On May 19, 1998, Dr. Robert Ballard, discoverer of the sunken ships Titanic and Bismarck, discovered the USS Yorktown. The Yorktown was an American ship lost in the Battle of Midway, the US-Japanese naval battle that turned the tide in the Pacific Theater of World War II. This National Geographic site is devoted to the discovery of the lost ships of that battle. It is highlighted by an interview with Ballard that includes biographical information, four maps (which can be viewed individually or overlaid), historical information on the early part of the Pacific War, information on the ships that were lost, and dispatches from National Geographic writer Tom Allen, who is accompanying Dr. Ballard on the expedition. The National Public Radio site contains a five minute All Things Considered RealPlayer interview with Dr. Ballard that took place on May 19. [JS]
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FDA Kids Homepage
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/kids/
Highlight of the recently opened US Food and Drug Administration's Kids Homepage is Yorick, FDA's "favorite skeleton," which allows users to see the various medical devices and implants that can replace real body parts. Included are such items as a glass eye, a silicon cochlear implant, a hip and a knee, among others. In addition, there is a kids quiz on food safety, a medicine cabinet word find (unfortunately not interactive), a tobacco quiz, information about vaccines, and a food safety coloring book, among other features. Information is aimed mostly at young children, but Yorick should also be of interest to older users. [JS]
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Book Arts Web
http://www.philobiblon.com/
Peter Verheyen, Conservation Librarian at Syracuse University, has put together this gateway to book arts related web sites. Information is available on letterpress printing, typography, hand book binding and paper making, rare book dealers and conservation of library materials. Included are home pages of individual book artists, printers, and bookbinders and their organizations, several listservs with searchable archives, specialized bibliographies and links to a variety of arts organizations. There is also a gallery with images of handbound books and links to online exhibitions and collections, including a show of miniature books at the University of Iowa, and the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. [DS]
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Quackwatch: Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisions
http://www.quackwatch.com/
Quackwatch, provided by Dr. Stephen Barrett with the aid of a 127 member advisory board consisting of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, and professors, among others, has the simple purpose of combat[ing] health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies." It does this through a series of articles, some brief, some detailed, and some book length, dealing with topics from Ayurvedic Mumbo-Jumbo to Chinese Medicine to Vitamin C. The articles are informative, opinionated, and entertaining. They are sure to help devotees of Western Medicine rest easy and infuriate devotees of Alternative Medicine. [JS]
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Wild Ones Handbook: A Voice for the Natural Landscaping Movement
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/wildones/
If you've decided this is the year to try something in the yard other than lawn, the Wild Ones Handbook is a good place to start. Wild Ones is a non-profit group that began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1977 It promotes and supports the use of natural landscaping as an alternative to lawns. The Handbook contains short essays written by natural landscaping designers and enthusiasts, as well as professional prairie nursery representatives. Topics covered include background information on prairies, how not to aggravate neighbors and village officials, preparing a yard for planting and landscaping for wildlife. Several of the essays provide lists of suggested plants native to the Midwest. The online version of the Wild Ones Handbook is a cooperative effort of Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers, Ltd., and the US Envrionmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program (GLNP). [AG]
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Computing Site
http://www.tecor.com/
This site, provided by Jorge Alegre of Tecor Communications SL, is a large metasite that provides pointers to over 30,000 Internet resources related to various aspects of the topic. By far the most links are to software and hardware sites. Among twelve major categories, users can also browse links to computer science, networking, Internet, operating systems, programming, and the Year 2000 Problem. Each site is briefly annotated with a description taken from the site itself. Sites are gathered by a robot program that the author claims is based on "knowledge rules" that make it highly selective. As with all search indexes, quality level of the sites varies. [JS]
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Terrific Type Tips
http://builder.cnet.com/Graphics/Type/index.html
Layout of type and graphics on a web page can be a frustrating task. There are many issues to consider, such as download time and font size changes. Terrific Type Tips covers these and many other issues. This article is provided by CNET's BUILDER.COM (discussed in the June 13, 1997 Scout Report) and written by Raymond Pirouz, author of Click Here: Web Communication Design and a Senior Partner of R35 (a digital design studio). Topics discussed include optimizing web graphics, using browser-safe fonts, reducing the amount of type in graphics, using smaller graphics in a way that will still enhance your site, creating web page white-space, and sizing/aligning/coloring type. The article concludes with a listing of related freeware, shareware, and commercial software. [TB]
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LIBNT-L--Windows NT in Libraries Mailing List
LIBNT-L is a mailing list with the purpose of promoting discussion and the dissemination of information about the implementation and administration of Windows NT in libraries. List members are encouraged to explore in detail all aspects of this subject. Topics may range from highly technical configuration and troubleshooting issues to matters of managerial policy. [JS]

To subscribe send email to:
listserv@utkvm1.utk.edu
In the body of the message type:
sub LIBNT-L FirstName LastName
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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-1998. 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 Internet Scout Project provides information about the Internet to the US research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. 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 or the National Science Foundation.

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

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The Scout Report - May 22, 1998

The Scout Report

May 22, 1998

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