The Scout Report - September 10, 1999

Scout Report for Social Sciences and Business & Economics
Scout Report for Social Sciences
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/socsci/1999/ss-990907.html
Scout Report for Business & Economics
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/bus-econ/1999/be-990909.html
The twenty-fifth 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 seven resources on the latest revelations regarding the government's siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco in 1993. The Business & Economics Report's In the News section offers eight resources on the recently announced plans of Viacom and CBS to form the largest media merger in history. [MD]
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Two from the CIA
CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 [.pdf, 376p.]
http://www.odci.gov/csi/books/cubamis/book1.pdf
Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments
http://www.cia.gov/publications/chiefs/index.html
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has added two new resources to its Website. The first is a .pdf version of a 1992 print book containing a large selection (over 100) of declassified documents on the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. The collection consists of many of the most important CIA documents on this event, including correspondence and meeting notes from the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) John A. McCone, intelligence reports, briefing papers, and materials related to Operation MONGOOSE, a program aimed at destabilizing the Castro regime. The publication begins with helpful lists of persons mentioned and their contemporary titles and acronyms and abbreviations. Note that a number of the documents have been edited for length, "relevance," and security reasons. The second new item from the CIA is an updated version of the agency's list of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments. Country entries are organized alphabetically and include the head of state, legislative leader, various cabinet secretaries or ministers, security chief, and head of the state bank, among others. [MD]
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Can China feed itself? A System for Evaluation of Policy Options
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/LUC/ChinaFood/index_s.htm
Produced by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria, this comprehensive study is the product of a three-year research project on China's food security. The study concludes that "China has enough arable land and water to feed its projected population of 1.48 billion in 2025 - even at currently available levels of agricultural technology." To support this conclusion the site offers a wide selection of resources, including numerous charts, tables, and maps; an evaluation matrix for "systematic screening and discussion of scientific arguments on how trends in various sectors of society will affect China's food security;" a FAQ; a very large bibliography; and related links. A helpful index, annotated by resource type and importance, is also provided. Please note that the in-depth analyses, detailed maps, and many of the larger tables and figures are not available at the site and must be purchased on CD-ROM. Despite this, the site contains more than enough to quickly engage scholars studying this question from a variety of disciplines. [MD]
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The Social Science Dream Machine: Resource discovery, analysis and delivery on the Web
http://www.nesstar.org/papers/iassist_0599.html
This substantial document, written by Jostein Ryssevik of Norwegian Social Science Data Services and Simon Musgrave of the UK Data Archive was presented at the iASSIST Conference in Toronto this past spring. The paper gives a comprehensive overview of the eagerly anticipated Networked Social Science Tools and Resources (NESSTAR). Scheduled to be functional early next year, NESSTAR promises to be the Star Wars of social science data services. (Currently one can take a tour of the project at NESSTAR's site.) A joint development project of the Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD), UK Data Archive, and the Danish Data Archive (DDA), NESSTAR promises to provide "a common interface on the Internet to the data holdings in the social sciences of a large number of providers and disseminators of statistical information world-wide." By means of NESSTAR, users will be able to "locate multiple data sources across national boundaries, browse detailed metadata about these data, analyse and visualise data online, and download the appropriate subsets of data in one of a number of formats." According to the article, in addition to its sheer size, the metasite promises to be innovative on a number of fronts, among them its integration of data and metadata, sophistication of hypertext usage, and development of user-customized "know-bots" that would "automatically inform [a subscriber] by e-mail whenever new data within [his or her] special field of interest were made available somewhere around the world." [DC]
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Decent Work and Protection for All: Priority of the Americas
http://www.oitamericas99.org.pe/english/agenda/textadop/report/index.shtml
.pdf version (1277K)
http://www.oitamericas99.org.pe/english/agenda/textadop/report/text.pdf
This 137-page report by Juan Somavia, the director general of the International Labor Organization (ILO), was presented at the American Regional meeting in Lima, Peru in August 1999. The report is divided into three sections. The first analyzes "the main challenges faced by the labour markets in the regions, in view of the globalization process." These challenges include "The Evolution of the Labour Market and Social Progress in the Nineties," "The Process of Transformation and the Challenges of Employment and Vocational Training," and "Labour Relations and Worker Protection in the New Structural Context." The second section looks at the activities the ILO carried out from 1994 to 1999 in order to combat the problems described in the first section. The final part looks at the steps the ILO plans to take in the next ten years in Latin America and the Caribbean. Also included are tables of data about Latin America and the Caribbean and a bibliography. [EM]
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Mathematics Genealogy Project
http://hcoonce.math.mankato.msus.edu/
The brainchild of retired mathematics professor Harry B. Coonce, this site has the modest goal of listing information about everyone who has earned a doctorate in mathematics during the 20th century. This will allow mathematicians to trace their academic "family tree" and discover their advisor's advisor, their advisor's "siblings" at graduate school, and so on. With over 28,000 names from 380 universities and 30,000 records waiting to be organized, the database is off to a good start. Compiled from the respective universities or Dissertation Abstracts, the records include name of degree recipient, university, year in which degree was awarded, dissertation title, name of advisor (linked to a list of their other students), and a list of the degree recipient's students, if any. Users can search the database by personal name (first, middle, or last), school, or year of degree, or browse by first letter of the last name, but due to the size of the database this last option is not recommended. [MD]
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FindLaw Constitutional Law Center
http://supreme.findlaw.com/
This latest offering from FindLaw (last discussed in the January 15, 1999 Scout Report) focuses on the US Constitution. The site is composed of two primary sections. The first offers an annotated Constitution, commentary on selected topics with links to key sections of the Constitution or The Federalist Papers, a history of the Constitution, and brief biographies of notable "Founding Fathers" and delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The second section highlights the Third Branch of government, with a history of the Supreme Court, landmark decisions regarding civil rights with the full opinions, a summary and analysis of the criminal law and procedure decisions of the October 1998 Supreme Court Term, and several links for current Supreme Court news and information. Both sections also feature a search engine. Additional resources at the site include a Town Hall section that explores Hot Topics (currently flag burning) and message boards on a wide variety of Constitutional issues. [MD]
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IMS Meta-data Specification - Version 1 [.pdf]
http://www.imsproject.org/metadata/
Instructional Management Systems (IMS) recently released Meta-data Specification - Version 1 to the public. A collaborative effort between members of the IMS community worldwide and various organizations, the Specification is comprised of three documents, each in HTML or .pdf format. The first, IMS Learning Resource Meta-data Information Model, "describes the names, definitions, organization, and constraints of the IMS meta-data elements." The second, IMS Learning Resource Meta-data XML Binding, discusses XML basics and special requirements for handling meta-data elements. The final document, IMS Learning Resource Meta-data Best Practices and Implementation Guide, offers an overview of the IEEE Meta-data system, a discussion on the IMS Core Meta-data Elements and Structure, and the IMS Implementation Guide. A link to IMS XML Bindings, DTDs, and examples is also provided. [MD]
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A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland (Patten Report) [.pdf, 560K]
http://www.belfast.org.uk/report.htm
Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland
http://www.belfast.org.uk/
Summary of Recommendations -- BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/patten_report/
Released on September 9, this long-awaited report from the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, chaired by former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten, contains 175 recommendations for reforming the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the police force in Northern Ireland. Some of the most important of these are a new name (the Northern Ireland Police Service), a new badge and symbol, a reduction in the number of officers, a new human rights-based oath, and a drive to recruit members from the Catholic community. The Patten Commission report is one of several strands in the ongoing peace process stemming from the Good Friday Agreement, which itself is currently under review after setbacks this summer. Response to the Patten Report has been mixed, with Unionist politicians expressing outrage and Nationalists taking a more cautious and noncommittal response. Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam has promised that the report will not be implemented until there has been a period of consultation (until the end of November) with "the political parties, the Irish Government and the wider community." Users can read the full text of the report in HTML or .pdf format at the Patten Commission site, which also offers information on Commission members and its terms of reference. The BBC also provides a useful summary of the report's recommendations, organized by topic. [MD]
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Early Virginia Religious Petitions -- LOC
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/repehtml/
This latest American Memory offering from the Library of Congress (LOC), in collaboration with the Library of Virginia, features images of 432 petitions submitted to the Virginia legislature between 1774 and 1802. Sent from over 80 counties and cities throughout the state, the petitions discuss topics such as the separation of church and state, the rights of dissenters, the sale and division of property in the established church, and the dissolution of unpopular vestries. Users can browse the collection by geographic location or date, or search by keyword. Each image is accompanied by a very brief content description and a link to a larger JPEG image. Additional resources at the site include an essay on petitioning in eighteenth-century Virginia, a chronology of religious development in America, and a link to a previous special exhibition, Religion and the Founding of the American Republic (reviewed in the June 12, 1998 Scout Report). [MD]
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Two News Tools
moreover
http://www.moreover.com/
Headlinez.net
http://www.headlinez.net/
These two new sites, both in beta development, will help users stay current by linking to a wide selection of headlines and news stories. The first and much larger site, moreover, currently offers the top stories from over 1,500 sources, grouped into 150 categories. The home page features the latest top stories worldwide, as well as the major news in business, finance, Internet, media, and technology. Headlines are also organized in a variety of general categories, by industry, and by region or country. News stories can be freely accessed from the site's main page, or after free registration, users can create their own customized news page with the moreover Publisher. With the Publisher, they can select which new sources will be monitored, tweak the layout of the page, and for those integrating the headlines into their own site, add their own HTML. The second site is, at present, a much more modest, but also more focused, resource, featuring breaking Internet, technology, and computing news only. Users can read headlines by source or select any number of sources to create a customized page. An internal keyword search engine is also provided. [MD]
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln: Artist Diversity Residency Program
http://www-class.unl.edu/adrp/
Like other large universities in the US, the University of Nebraska - Lincoln sponsors this program "to promote a greater appreciation for diversity on the campus and in the community." Artists working in a variety of media, from diverse cultural backgrounds, are brought to Lincoln to work with university students, students at public schools, and community organizations. Currently four artists can be seen at the site: Flo Oy Wong, Jeff Raz, Linda Anfusc, and Juan Tejada. Issues related to ethnic identity play a part in each of their works. For example, Flo Oy Wong's mixed media installations express the Chinese immigrant experience in California, and Linda Anfusc presents a series of broadsides on Native Americans's place in American history. [DS]
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Right on the Money
http://www.rightonthemoney.org/
Launched in January 1999 and produced by KTCA-TV, St. Paul-Minneapolis, this public television series "offers straightforward advice for people who want to make better financial decisions for themselves and their families." The companion Website features program transcripts, interviews with experts, a few key tips, and (annotated) select print and online resources for each of the show's 26 episodes. Sample show topics include "Creating a Household Budget," "Planning for Your Retirement," "Managing Your Student Loans," and "Investment Basics," among others. Short biographies of guest experts and a list of broadcast stations airing the show round out the site. [MD]
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Westerns.com [Windows Media Player, .mp3]
http://www.westerns.com/
This site will win the hearts of classic Western lovers, featuring over 60 short films (most 30 to 60 minutes) in their entirety. Fans will find many of their favorites: Tom Mix, Gene Autry, Lee Van Cleef, Kit Carson, Hoot Gibson, The Lone Ranger, the Cisco Kid, and many more. The films are offered in Windows Media Player format only, with playback quality a little better than the average for streaming media. The site also offers short biographies, filmographies, and images of a large number of Western stars, and a sound archive (Windows Media Player of Winamp required). Git Along Little Dogies! [MD]
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Authoring XHTML - Mozquito Project
http://www.mozquito.org/list/index.html
Mozquito Project
http://www.mozquito.org/
This new moderated mailing list from the Mozquito Project was created to "support webauthors for their step up to the new W3C-standard XHTML." The list will offer the latest XHTML news and provide a forum for webauthors to discuss their questions. The Mozquito Project is working to create a new Web standard for forms, allowing people to author documents in new markup languages and then have them transformed into a file (Mozquito File) that existing browsers can process. More information on the Project and its products are available at the home page. Both the mailing list and the Mozquito Project are directed by Stack Overflow, a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). [MD]

To subscribe, send mail to:
    majordomo@mozquito.org
In the body of the message type:
    SUBSCRIBE XHTML your email address
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Third State of the Onion
http://www.perl.com/pub/1999/08/onion/talk1.html
This page, part of publisher O'Reilly & Associates's Website devoted to the Perl language, contains a transcript of Larry Wall's address at the Perl Conference 3.0, which was held as part of the recent O'Reilly Open Source Convention in Monterey, California. In his address, Wall, the original author of the Perl programming language, provides a thought-provoking (and entertaining) mix of philosophy and technology. Wall uses molecular analogies to argue that the Perl community can act as a bond between the open source and the commercial sectors. The page also includes static copies of images used during the address. [MD]
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Clemency for Puerto Rican Nationalists
El Nuevo Dia Interactivo [.pdf]
http://www.endi.com/manual/locales/liberacion.html
"FALN prisoners another step closer to freedom" -- CNN
http://www.cnn.com/US/9909/09/faln.clemency/
"Hillary Clinton - Clemency" -- NPR [RealPlayer]
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/atc/19990908.atc.16.ram
"Puerto Rican Prisoners" -- NPR [RealPlayer]
http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/19990908.me.09.ram
"Puerto Rican nationalists to be released after two decades in prison" -- World Socialist Web Site
http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/sep1999/faln-s09.shtml
Puerto Rico Herald
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/
"Puerto Rican Clemency" -- The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-09/10/000l-091099-idx.html
"Mixed-up signals from the Clintons" -- The Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/251/editorials/Mixed_up_signals_from_the_Clintons+.shtml
"Yank the Clemency Offer" -- Chicago Tribune"
http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/article/0,2669,SAV-9909020070,FF.html
Despite a non-binding Congressional resolution condemning the action, President Clinton gave final approval yesterday to the Bureau of Prisons for the release of eleven members of a militant Puerto Rican nationalist group who agreed to renounce violence in return for clemency. Two others, already out of prison, will have their fines reduced if they respond positively to the deal by this evening. The president originally offered clemency to sixteen members of the Armed Forces of National Liberation, a Puerto Rican pro-independence group known by its Spanish initials, FALN. The FALN has been linked to more than 100 bombings, mostly in New York and Chicago, in the 1970s and early 1980s. None of the people offered clemency were convicted in any of the bombings, but all were convicted on charges ranging from conspiracy and bomb-making to armed robbery. While opponents of the move charge that Clinton is soft on terrorism, his supporters claim their complaints are just an attempt to inflict political damage on the President and his wife's impending Senate campaign in New York state.

The online version of San Juan's El Nuevo Dia offers a feature story on the clemency deal, with related stories, an analysis of the conditions, and a .pdf copy of the one-page statement the prisoners must sign. The site is in Spanish only. CNN's report offers a concise overview of the clemency deal and the reactiosn of leading politicians. The next two items, reports from National Public Radio's Morning Edition and All Things Considered, discuss the clemency offer and the opposition to it expressed by Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. The World Socialist Web Site offers a more comprehensive, if more ideologically-driven, account of FALN activities, the prisoners, and objections to their release. The latest issue of the Puerto Rico Herald, "The Voice of Puerto Rico Self-Determination," contains a number of articles related to the clemency offer and prisoner release. Finally, the last three editorials represent the range of opinions on the clemency offer expressed by the American press. [MD]
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