The Scout Report - May 21, 1999

Scout Report for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/socsci/1999/ss-990518.html
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/bus-econ/1999/be-990520.html
The sixteenth issues of the second volumes of the Scout Reports for Social Sciences and Business & Economics are available. The In the News section of the Social Sciences Report annotates eight resources on recent developments in federal gun control legislation. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section offers eight resources on the recent Federal Reserve Board decision to leave interest rates unchanged. [MD]
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Health Survey For England: The Health of Young People '95-97
http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/survey97/hse95.htm
Although originally released in December 1998, this major survey on the health of young Britons was placed online only this week. The most comprehensive survey of its kind ever commissioned by the UK Department of Health, the report examines the health and growth of children and young adults aged 2-24, and combines data from the 1995-1997 annual surveys. The full text of the report is available at the site in two sections and thirteen chapters. Chapters address topics such as blood pressure, smoking, drinking, physical activity, weight and eating habits, and methodology, among others. Supporting tables and figures are also provided. [MD]
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CARD: Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database
http://www.canadianarchaeology.com/radiocarbon/card/card.htm
Hosted by the Canadian Archaeological Association and maintained by Dr. Richard Morlan of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (see the April 21, 1998 Scout Report for Social Sciences), the Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database (CARD) is a new online "compilation of radiocarbon measurements that indicate the ages of archaeological and vertebrate palaeontological sites in Canada." Users may conduct cross-field searches of the database by Borden block, Borden number, site name, province, laboratory number, material dated, cultural affiliation, or range of dates. Database queries yield full data on radiocarbon (carbon-14) measurements, including provenience, taxon information, and comments. In addition, the site explains the basic principles of radiocarbon dating, the technical issues affecting the technique, and how the database was compiled. The entire CARD site is also available in French. [AO]
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The Noam Chomsky Archive [RealPlayer]
http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/intro.cfm
ZNet
http://www.zmag.org/
Hosted by ZNet, the Website of Z Magazine, this archive features an excellent selection of writings and other materials from renowned cultural and political analyst Noam Chomsky. At the site, users will find the full text or excerpts from fourteen of Chomsky's books, the former including major works such as What Uncle Sam Really Wants,Necessary Illusions, and Deterring Democracy. Another major feature of the archive is a large number of audio selections; the site offers various radio interviews and talks and the full contents of several CDs of significant Chomsky lectures. Other sections of the archive include a large number of Chomsky's articles from Z Magazine and the text of selected talks, interviews, and debates. Users will want to be sure to visit the Introduction section, which highlights recent additions to the archive, among them several audio and text selections on Kosovo and the Balkans. [MD]
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Smart Library on Urban Poverty
http://www.societyonline.org/partners/harvard/
The Kennedy School at Harvard University and the National Institute for Social Science Information (NISSI) provide "the best research on urban poverty from leading academic journals" at the Smart Library on Urban Poverty. This complex site allows six pathways into its databases, which cover a range of topics: welfare and work facts, first-person narratives, and evaluations of major economic experiments. A Headlines section links readers to Smart Library contents via the latest news concerning urban economies, communities, and families in the US. [MW]
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The Cely Papers
http://www.r3.org/bookcase/cely/index.html
Provided by the Richard III and Yorkist History Server (reviewed in the January 30, 1998 Scout Report), this site contains selections from the correspondence and memoranda of the Cely family, Merchants of the Staple of Calais, 1475-1488. Edited for the Royal Historical Society by Henry Elliot Malden, these documents offer an interesting glimpse into the world of a wealthy wool merchant family in the late fifteenth century. The correspondence between family members in London, Calais, and Flanders covers business matters in the main, but occasionally reveals attitudes and perceptions on topics of more general import. The comprehensive Introduction to the papers sets the correspondence in its proper context and is highly recommended, especially for non-specialist users or others who have difficulty reading fifteenth-century English. [MD]
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NAVIS [Java]
http://home.rhein-zeitung.de/~rzentral/
Sponsored by the European Commission Directorate General X, this site hosts a database on ancient ship archaeology, with information on over 100 ancient shipwrecks all over Europe. The site can be somewhat confusing and difficult to navigate, but it contains a wealth of information for archaelogists and perhaps ancient historians and classicists. The database is searchable by several options (wreck information, ship contents, literature, exact dating, component images, and search & plot) or browseable by ship number or country. Additional resources at the site include image and distribution maps (robust system strongly recommended), two thematic reviews (Fleets and Frontiers, Maritime Commerce), overviews of ten European maritime museums, and related links. A help section and guided tour are available. [MD]
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Learning Guide Six: Opening Dialogues [.rtf, .pdf]
http://edsitement.neh.gov/guides/g_intro2.htm
The National Endowment for the Humanities's Edsitement Website (last reviewed in the January 29, 1999 Scout Report) has recently added to its collection of online learning guides. The theme of the latest guide, opening dialogues, "invite[s] students to take up arguments and question evidence in literature, history, and government." Eight lesson plans are grouped into three themes: Critical Perspectives, Historical Evidence, and Political Debate. Each lesson plan is fully described and uses online resources for background and primary materials. Plans deal with a range of topics, including Chaucer's Wife of Bath, historical maps, and Socrates and the law. The main page of each theme offers annotations for the Websites used and links to additional learning tools. [MD]
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New Additions to ERIC Digests Database
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/edo99b.html
ERIC Digests Index Page
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/
The latest update to the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Digest database (last described in the March 5, 1999 Scout Report) features 45 full-text short reports aimed at education professionals and the broader education community. Each report includes an overview of an education topic of current interest and offers references for further information. Sample titles include Vocational Education's Image for the 21st Century, Mistakes Educational Leaders Make, Teacher Morale, Language Learning in Social and Cultural Contexts, and Multicultural Children's Literature in the Elementary Classroom. Users can search the entire ERIC Digests database from the index page. ERIC, part of the National Library of Education (NLE), is a nationwide education information system sponsored by the US Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). [MD]
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America's Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences -- USDA ERS [.pdf, 473p]
http://www.econ.ag.gov/epubs/pdf/aib750/
This new book from the US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, USDA ERS (last noted in the May 7, 1999 Scout Report) offers a comprehensive review of eating habits and the state of nutrition in America. Downloadable by chapter or in its entirety in .pdf format, the book presents a multi-disciplinary perspective on nutrition issues, addressing topics ranging from "dietary guidelines to food consumption patterns, from the impact of food advertising to the economic costs of unhealthy diets." Other subjects covered include the impact of government programs and regulations, public and private efforts to encourage healthy eating, and the connections between dietary changes and US agriculture. [MD]
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Eurodicautom
http://eurodic.echo.lu/
Originally the multilingual terminological database of the European Commission's Translation Service, Eurodicautom has been placed online and made available to the general public. The database contains approximately five million entries in twelve languages, including technical terms, abbreviations, acronyms and phraseology. While Eurodicautom "covers a broad spectrum of human knowledge," it focuses especially on terms related to European Union topics. The search interface offers several options, including source and target languages, subject field, and the kind of data (terms, abbreviations, or phraseology) sought. Users may also set and save search and display profiles for future visits. Most first-time visitors will wish to consult the User Guide, provided via the pull-down menu at the top of the page. [MD]
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Directory of Federal Government Certification and Related Programs [.pdf, 570p.]
http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/210/217/rev739.pdf
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the full text of the third edition of their Directory of Federal Government Certification and Related Programs. The Directory "lists federal certification and related requirements for hundreds of products and services regulated or purchased by 18 federal departments and independent agencies." Users can view the requirements for an expansive range of items, "from bottled water to building products, and from nuclear facilities to narcotic test kits and other law-enforcement equipment." Entries for each federal certification program include an overview of its purpose, the date information was approved by the agency, whether the requirements are mandatory or voluntary, contact information, sources of documentation, reciprocity agreements, and a list of relevant keywords. At 570 pages, this Directory is rather unwieldy, a problem made much worse by the absence of a table of contents or index. Also, the entries are listed by agency. Users will most likely want to keep only an electronic copy and use the Find command to locate the desired information. [MD]
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Capitolium.org: the Official Website of the Imperial Forums [.avi or Quicktime]
http://www.capitolium.org/english.htm
As part of the Imperial Forum Project, a Roman architectural preservation effort, the city of Rome presents this site documenting the forums built by its emperors. The central feature of the site is the Recovering the Forums section, where users can view images and read descriptions of the historic structures and areas that are being restored, which are: the Forums of Augustus, Caesar, and Nerva, the Temple of Peace (Forum of Vespasian), the Forum of Trajan, and Trajan's Market. Most of the material is available in both Italian and English, except an interactive map of the project area, which seems to be offered only in Italian at the moment. Another nice feature is the virtual tour area, where visitors can "fly" through reconstructions of the Forum of Caesar and Ulpia by viewing a 3D movie. The site is rounded out with background information about the history of Rome, including pictures of clothing styles and recipes for Roman foods, and Ludi, or games, such as a collection of Roman proverbs, images of Imperial Rome from movies, and a Forum visit quiz. [DS]
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Two on College Financial Aid
The Student Guide 1999-2000 [.pdf, 31p.]
http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/1999-0/index.html
State Aid -- NCES [.pdf, 74p.]
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=1999186
These two reports will probably appeal to different constituencies. The first, aimed at prospective and current college students and their parents, is provided by the US Department of Education. The Guide covers all of the Department's major aid programs, accounting, they claim, for about 70% of all student aid. Accessible by chapter in HTML format or in its entirety in .pdf format, the Guide offers a helpful overview of student aid, covering topics such as eligibility and applying, Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, and borrower rights and responsibilities. The second report, published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), will most likely be used by financial aid professionals and researchers. The report, offered in .pdf format, is a statistical analysis of the differences among students attending institutions in states that provide different levels of financial aid. [MD]
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1998-99 Consumer's Resource Handbook (CRH) [.pdf, 144p.]
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/crh/respref.htm
Published by the US Government Consumer Information Center (CIC), the Consumer's Resource Handbook is "144 pages of valuable information that no consumer should be without." The CRH offers tips and advice on a wide swath of topics, including car repair, purchase, and leasing; spotting and avoiding fraud; home financing; consumer privacy; protecting your credit report; and more. The handbook also includes a Consumer Assistance Directory, with a large collection of contact information for consumer organizations, better business bureaus, corporations, trade associations, state and local consumer protection offices, state agencies, and Federal agencies. The Handbook is available in HTML, text, and .pdf formats. [MD]
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Union Pacific Railroad History
http://www.uprr.com/uprr/ffh/history/
Created in 1862 to construct half of the first transcontinental railroad, Union Pacific (UP) became one of America's leading railroads, hauling passengers and freight through some of the most rugged and scenic regions of America. Anyone with an interest in American railroads, from hardcore trainspotters to the mildly curious will enjoy this site, which celebrates UP's long history with short texts and a plethora of photos and images. Users can read about the caboose and passenger trains, learn about historic UP yards and shops, and review several chronologies. The heart of the site, however, is the photo gallery, which features images of historic advertisements, structures and yards, nineteenth-century stereo views, scenic locations, and a large number of trains (steam and diesel) in action. Take ride on the rails. [MD]
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SETI@Home
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
While it's not a Network Tool in the strictest definition, many users will enjoy this nifty download from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Project at the University of California at Berkeley. For over 30 years, the SETI Project has been analyzing data from radio telescopes for signs of intelligent alien life. Users can join the search by downloading this free program, which connects to the SETI Project during computer down-time and downloads and then analyzes radio data gathered from space and sends the results back to the project. A technical-looking graphical representation of the analysis serves as a screen saver and lets users watch their computer "at work" in the search for alien radio signals. [MD]
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Netscape Communicator 4.6
http://www.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html?cp=hom05prt1
Release Notes
http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/4.6/relnotes/
Netscape has released the latest update to their popular browser package. Version 4.6 includes RealPlayer G2, the latest version of AOL Instant Messenger, improved security features, and an expanded NetHelp section. Users can download Communicator 4.6 for free at the Netscape site. [MD]
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Deadlock in Northern Ireland Peace Process
The Path to Peace -- Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/special/peace/
BBC News -- Northern Ireland
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/northern_ireland/
Policy.com -- Northern Ireland Peace Process Falters
http://www.policy.com/news/dbrief/dbriefarc207.asp
Sinn Fein Homepage
http://www.sinnfein.ie/
Ulster Unionist Party Homepage
http://www.uup.org/
The New Northern Ireland Assembly
http://www.ni-assembly.gov.uk/index.htm
Intense discussions continue in 10 Downing Street and Belfast, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair pressing all the parties in Northern Ireland, so far without success, to maintain momentum in the peace process by setting up an executive as outlined by the Good Friday Agreement signed last year. Current plans propose devolving power to some type of executive body by June 30. However, Ulster Unionists, led by David Trimble, who will serve as First Minister of the new Northern Ireland Assembly, have so far rejected forming an executive which contains two reserved seats for Sinn Fein, commonly regarded as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), without some tangible start to paramilitary decommissioning. Sinn Fein, led by Gerry Adams, has consistently pointed out that the text of the Good Friday Agreement states that paramilitary decommissioning must be complete two years from the date the parties signed up to the deal, and is not a precondition to forming a devolved Northern Ireland government. Both Trimble and Adams face the difficult task of representing consituencies that are not united in favor of the agreement, and may in fact contain large sections opposed to the current peace process. The key to solving the deadlock, most believe, is the creation of some kind of compromise on disarming that allows the leaders to form an executive, shadow or otherwise, without losing the support of their respective parties. Whether this can be reached before the traditionally tense and sometimes violent "marching season" this summer remains to be seen.

The first two sites, from the Irish Times and the BBC, offer excellent introductions and overviews of the present peace process and its historical roots, with profiles of key figures, reviews of key events, overviews of the Good Friday Agreement and the new Assembly, and breaking news. The Policy.com site contains an introduction to the situation, six opinion pieces from either side of the decommissioning divide, and related links. The homepages for Sinn Fein and Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) both feature a number of recent statements and press releases on the current standoff. Finally, the Northern Ireland Assembly's site offers a straightforward and strictly nonpartisan overview of the body that will eventually assume devolved power over the region. Additional resources on the Northern Ireland peace process can be found in the Scout Report Signpost, the Scout Report's database. These include the full text of the Good Friday Agreement, the CAIN Web Service's Northern Ireland Conflict: 1968 to the Present, and the US Institute Of Peace. [MD]
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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.

Susan Calcari Rachael E. Bower Michael de Nie Travis Koplow Aimee D. Glassel Todd Hanson Sheilah Harrington Christopher Lukas Dave Mayer Sujani Nannapaneni Andrew Osmond Laura X. Payne Jeannine Ramsey Mike Roszkowski Debra Shapiro Geraldine Wanserski Megan Waters Amy Tracy Wells Paul M Schwartz

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