The Scout Report

July 3, 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.

Scout Project Begins Hosting NEW-LIST, Scout Report for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
NEW-LIST
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/new-list/
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/
On July 1, 1998, the Internet Scout Project began moderating one of the oldest and most respected mailing lists on the Net. For nine years, Marty Hoag moderated NEW-LIST, the premiere new mailing list announcement service. For your unflagging devotion and dedication, Marty, as well as your thousands of hours of effort, the Scout Project and the Network community thank you. We hope your "send" finger has a restful future, and wish you all the best. Gleason Sackman has taken over moderating NEW-LIST, adding it to the Net-Happenings, Newsletter, and K-12 Newsletter lists he moderates. The NEW-LIST archives beginning with the July 1 postings can be accessed at the above URL, while older postings will remain archived at the North Dakota University system. The twentieth 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 US-China summit. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section annotates eight resources on the United Auto Workers' strike against General Motors. [JS]

To subscribe to NEW-LIST send email to:
listserv@cs.wisc.edu
In the Body of the Message Type:
subscribe new-list YourFirstName YourLastName
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Science and Engineering Indicators 1998 (NSB 98-1)--NSF [Excel]
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind98/start.htm
Previous Science and Engineering Indicators and Information
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind/
The National Science Board of the National Science Foundation has published the thirteenth issue of this biennial report. Science and Engineering Indicators chronicles overall trends in the development of "science and engineering research and education." The report details tendencies in all levels of education; the science and engineering work force; US, international, and academic research; and public attitudes toward and understanding of science and technology. This issue contains a new chapter, "Economic and Social Significance of Information Technologies," along with several other new and enhanced features (see the introduction). Hundreds of tables (text and Microsoft Excel) and charts supplement the report, which should prove to be an indispensable resource for researchers, reference librarians, and anyone interested in the overall state of science and engineering. The last two issues of the report, as well as much related information, are available at NSF's Science and Engineering Indicators site. [JS]
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A Reader's Guide to the Arts of Japan--Asia Society
http://www.asiasociety.org/arts/japan_guide/
Less Graphical Entrance
http://www.asiasociety.org/arts/japan_guide/intro.html
This annotated bibliography, compiled by Sylvan Barnet and William Burto for the Asia Society, contains over 450 references to print resources about Japanese art. The citations are arranged by medium and time period and include works about painting, sculpture, calligraphy, textiles, folk art, and gardens, among others. For a basic introduction to Japanese art, users should turn to the General Works page. The site only references English language works and does not include resources found exclusively on the Internet. [JS]
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NeuroAIDS--Science Online
http://mednav.com/zone/Naids/index.html
NeuroAIDS is a Science Online experiment to "determine whether the creation of an on-line knowledge environment centered around one scientific area can foster increased collaboration among scientists." Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the site consists of web-based articles on the topic and discussions of both neuroAIDS and the uses of the Internet for the scientific community. Both of these focuses are extended in the News and Resources sections which link to current news updates from various sources including the American Association for the Advancement of Science's EurekAlert!, related citations to relevant journal articles, and Internet resources including software. [JS]
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Atlas of United States Presidential Elections 1932-1996 [.pdf, 122p.]
http://www.klipsan.com/usp32-96.htm
This online volume (available in Adobe Acrobat [.pdf] format only), provided by Klipsan Press and edited by Alan Miller, is a graphical and numerical guide to each of the last seventeen US presidential elections. Sleek and elegant in design, it clearly conveys geographical trends in presidential voting over the last 65 years. For each election, data tables chart the popular vote for several parties (numbers and percentages included), and maps show which candidate won what state, as well as percentages of votes by state for the major parties and important other parties. Percentage maps are either "electoral strength" or "equal count distribution," depending on whether the candidate won or lost. Methodology is explained in the preface. While the electronic text is an admitted advertisement for a print book (as evidenced by the fact that the file cannot be printed), this is still an excellent reference resource to save to the desktop and use whenever the need arises. [JS]
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University of Florida Book of Insect Records
http://gnv.ifas.ufl.edu/~tjw/recbk.htm
Have you ever wondered which insect flies the fastest? Makes the most noise? Lives the longest? The University of Florida Book of Insect Records attempts to answer these, and 35 other questions about insect superlatives. Compiled by graduate students in the Insect Ecology class since 1994, and edited by Professor Thomas J. Walker of UF's Department of Entomology and Nematology, the site is more than a Guinness Book of World Records for insects. Each chapter is really a short research paper on the topic, which begins by giving the answer, and proceeds to review relevant primary and secondary literature. In the insect world, there are no final answers, and Professor Walker, realizing this, encourages feedback and additions from outside contributors. Note that at present, there are some broken links to the non-table version of the site, as well as some .pdf chapters. [JS]
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Basics of Sleep Behavior--UCLA BIS [frames]
http://bisleep.medsch.ucla.edu/sleepsyllabus/
Less Graphical Entrance [frames]
http://bisleep.medsch.ucla.edu/sleepsyllabus/intro.html
Sleep Home Pages
http://bisleep.medsch.ucla.edu/defaultnetscape4.html
The Brain Information Service at the University of California Los Angeles provides this online textbook of sleep behavior. Its fourteen chapters discuss, among other concepts, the nature and development of sleep, types of sleep, chemistry and mechanics, dreams, and disorders. The site, arresting in its clarity and breadth, is illustrated with charts and diagrams, hyperlinked to a glossary that pops up in a separate browser window, and accompanied by a briefly annotated bibliography. BSB is part of the well known Sleep Home Pages, a site brimming with sleep information for the researcher and general user alike. The Sleep Home Pages houses, among other features, an electronic research journal (Sleep Research Online), a scholarly current awareness service (New Abstracts and Papers in Sleep--NAPS), literature databases (Bibliographic Electronic Databases of Sleep--BEDS), as well as Books for Sleepless Nights, in which Lynne Lamberg reviews general audience sleep-related books. [JS]
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InSITE--Law Site Reviews from Cornell Law Library
http://128.253.118.14:8080/insite/insitetp.html
InSITE, provided by librarians at Cornell University Law Library, is a periodic compilation of reviewed law-related web sites. It is available via email or the web, and is searchable (using any of five variables), allowing it to be used as a current awareness reader's advisory, selective metasite, or both. [JS]

To subscribe send email to:
listproc@cornell.edu
In the body of the message type:
Subscribe InSITE-L [YourFirstName] [YourLastName]
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Four from American Memory--LOC
America From the Depression to World War II: Photographs From the FSA-OWI, 1935-1945
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsowhome.html
Buckaroos in Paradise: Ranching Culture in Northern Nevada 1945-1982 [QuickTime, MPEG, RealPlayer, .wav]
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ncrhtml/crhome.html
An American Ballroom Companion: Dance Instruction Manuals ca: 1490-1920
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dihome.html
Railroad Maps 1828-1900
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/rrhome.html
The US Library of Congress American Memory site has recently added four new items to its impressive collection. The most content-rich at this time is America from the Depression to World War II. This collection of Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information photos documents every aspect of American life. Of the over 164,000 photographs, the site provides browseable and searchable access to over 45,000 black and white and 1,600 color images at this time. The collection can be searched via subject, creator, or geographical index. Images are provided in multiple formats with bibliographic information, and a useful feature allows users to shelf-browse for related images. A bibliography, cataloging information, and special section on the work of six photographers, including Dorothea Lange, round out the site. Buckaroos in Paradise is the result an LOC "American Folklife Center field project conducted in 1978-82" that focused on the family-run Ninety-Six Ranch in Paradise Valley, Nevada. The collection is highlighted by 42 MPEG and QuickTime videos (each is several megabytes) and eighteen RealPlayer and .wav sound recordings of various aspects of ranch life. 2,400 still photos that document life in Paradise Valley from 1870 on are forthcoming. The site can be searched or browsed by subject or topic. A bibliography, as well as information about the history of the Ninety-Six Ranch and Paradise Valley, are also provided. Dance Instruction Manuals, provided by the LOC's Music Division, presents over 200 "social dance manuals." These searchable and browseable documents are available in multiple formats (including SGML), most easily viewed as individual page images. Included are theatrical dance, dance history, and etiquette manuals, among others. Though most manuals are in English, several other languages are also represented. There is also a special section on the history of social dance in Western Europe and America. Finally, Railroad Maps, a preview release provided by the Geography and Map Division of LOC, contains a searchable and browseable selection of maps taken from RailroadMaps of the United States, by Andrew M. Modelski. [JS]
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Alexander Calder: 1898-1976--NGA [VRML Live Picture, RealPlayer]
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/caldwel.htm
You can beat the Washington DC tourist crowds by taking this virtual tour of one of this summer's hot tickets, Alexander Calder: 1898-1976 at the National Gallery of Art. The exhibition, commemorating the centenary of Calder's birth, brings together over 260 of his best works, including many mobiles, the moving sculptures that Calder invented, and also jewelry, paintings, and wire and bronze sculptures. There are several ways to move through the VRML (Live Picture) exhibition, which is a selection of the installation at the Gallery. A click on the map in the lower right-hand corner of the screen, takes visitors into one of the rooms of the exhibition. Once in the room, clicking on any artwork brings up its picture and description. Selected images are augmented by RealPlayer narration. Alternately, visitors can navigate by means of a textual menu. It is a little difficult to comprehend the scale of the artworks in the virtual tour, and while exhibition-goers in Washington can watch a six-minute video showing views of Calder's monumental sculptures installed in cities around the world, those taking the virtual tour must be content with maquettes of the larger works. [DS]
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ClearStation
http://www.clearstation.com/
Created by Doug Fairclough, a founding developer of Hot Wired, and Kris Shrinak, a former Wall Street trader, ClearStation provides "professional trading techniques" for both experienced and novice investors. A unique combination of graphs, daily computer-generated stock ideas, and staff educational articles help users enhance their trading strategies and portfolios. News and data providers include S&P ComStock, Zacks, and Market Guide. Registration is required and members must agree to share their ClearStation-created portfolios with other members, to increase learning and discussion on site. [MW]
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InfoBeat Select News
http://www.infobeat.com/select/cgi/select_merc.cgi?
InfoBeat, formerly known as Mercury Mail (discussed in the November 1, 1996 Scout Report), offers this new service, email delivery of nineteen newsletters at this time, in seven areas: national news, technology, business and finance, entertainment, lifestyles, shopping and travel, and tips. Users enter their email addresses and then select the publications they want to receive, which include Today's Headlines from MSNBC, PC World's Daily Digest, Seidman's Online Insider, Wired News Daily, People Daily, Forbes Digital Tool, Money Daily, Amazon.com Editors' Choice, and TipWorld's Hardware Upgrade Tip of the Day. InfoBeat is an easy and convenient way to receive general interest information updates, and it's just as easy to change subscription profiles at any time. [JS]
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Global Children's Art Gallery
http://www.naturalchild.com/gallery/
The Global Children's Art Gallery hosts a refreshing collection of children's artwork in a variety of formats. Each image can be enlarged and is accompanied by a flag indicating the country or countries where the artist lives. This site is a part of the Natural Child site, a site maintained by psychologist Jan Hunt that is devoted to an attachment parenting perspective, "in which all children are treated with dignity, respect, understanding, and compassion." [JR]
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Corbis Postcards
http://ecard.corbis.com/
Corbis Corporation, founded in 1989 by Bill Gates, is one the world's largest picture collections at more than twenty million images, over one million of which are available in digital format. Corbis images come from professional photographers, museums, cultural institutions, and historical stock photograph collections; sources include Ansel Adams, the National Gallery London, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Collection, and the Bettmann Collection. Most of Corbis Corporation's services are directed toward image-buyers working for commercial publications and thus are fee-based, but with this free service, users can email friends or relatives postcards featuring high quality pictures from Corbis. Choose from a wide variety of images including sports figures such as Michael Jordan, Impressionist paintings, and celebrities and their cars, among others. [DS]
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Netscape Netcenter
http://www.netscape.com/
Netscape has finished remaking its site from a browser information center into what it hopes will be a major Internet portal. After over nine months of development, the Netcenter (discussed in the September 5, 1997 Scout Report) directory, provided by Excite!, is a metasite containing briefly annotated links in seventeen major categories, along with a daily news feature. For those still interested in the Netscape browser, it is now one of the seventeen categories. [JS]
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BUILDER.COM's Spotlight on HTML!--Collection of HTML Articles and Tutorials
http://www.builder.com/Authoring/Html/
CNET's BUILDER.COM (discussed in the June 13, 1997 Scout Report) has recently added a new feature to its Web Authoring section called Spotlight on HTML!. Spotlight gathers and organizes the various HTML, Dynamic HTML, HTML editor, and web design articles and tutorials published in Web Authoring. The beginner as well as the expert will find helpful, detailed information here. For tips, tricks, and tutorials, this is an excellent resource. [TB]
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Aladdin FlashBack--Recover Lost, Damaged, or Overwritten Files
http://www.aladdinsys.com/flashback/
Macintosh 30 Day Demo
ftp://members.aol.com/aladdin/pub/flashback_mac11.hqx
FTP to: members.aol.com
Change Directories to: aladdin/pub/flashback_mac11.hqx
Download: flashback_mac11.hqx
FlashBack is a file recovery utility provided by Aladdin Systems for both Macintosh and Windows. Employing what Aladdin calls a "differencing engine," FlashBack allows users to return to previous versions of documents. Simply drag a document onto the FlashBack window and it spells out the history of the document changes, including time and date. Then choose the version to recover. All FlashBack documents, graphics, databases, etc. are organized by application. A 30-day demo version of this commercial utility is available (Macintosh only). [TB]
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Volume 2, Number 10, June 30, 1995
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/archive/.html
American Association for the Advancement of Science
http://www.aaas.org/
Science Magazine
http://www.sciencemag.org/
Eurekalert!
http://www.eurekalert.org/
The AAAS and Science sites were originally annotated as gophers in the June 30, 1995 Scout Report. At the time of annotation, the AAAS gopher contained information describing the organization. Today, it does that and much more, acting as a clearinghouse of AAAS information. In addition to member and annual meeting information, the site informs users about the various policy and education programs of AAAS. The most useful aspect of the AAAS site, for the general public, is the fact that it serves as a gateway to scientific information, some of which is contained in the major AAAS publication Science, also annotated in the June 30 report. At that time, the Science gopher site contained tables of contents, an editorial, and classified ads, all of which are still available for non-members. Today, members also have access to full-text articles. In addition, the Science site's special section, "Beyond the Printed Page," contains much information freely available to all, including Essays on Science and Society (discussed in the February 20, 1998 Scout Report), a series commemorating the 150th anniversary of the publication and supplementary materials to selected articles. The Science site provides current awareness in the form of Science Now, a news feature, and Science's Next Wave (discussed in the July 18, 1997 Scout Report), a career development site. The AAAS site provides current awareness in the form of Eurekalert! (discussed in the June 14, 1996 Scout Report). [JS]
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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

Susan Calcari
Jack Solock
Travis Koplow
Teri Boomsma
Michael de Nie
David Flaspohler
Aimee D. Glassel
Todd Hanson
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Kathryn Harris
Laura X. Payne
Matthew Livesey
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