Scout Report for Science & Engineering_
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/report/sci-eng/2000/se-000524.html
Volume 3, Number 18 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates eight resources on recent discoveries regarding black holes. [MD]
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Search Full-Text US Internet Government Periodicals
http://198.252.9.95/home/govper.html
Developed by Paul A. Arrigo and Dee Barker, government documents librarians at Washburn University Law Library, this continuously updated and reindexed resource provides access to full-text periodicals placed online by the federal government. Users can begin by selecting subject, subdoc number, or title, the latter two of which provide direct access (as well as publication information) to a very impressive number of government periodicals. The subject section allows users to narrow their search by selecting one of almost 40 topics and then conducting a targeted keyword search. The subdoc number and title sections offer individual keyword searches for each periodical, though please note that some of these were unavailable due to broken links. After these are repaired and the more than 100 additional titles are added to the database, this site will serve as a powerful resource for a wide range of users interested in US government periodicals. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Your Voice at Work -- ILO [QuickTime, .pdf, 12.3 MB]
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/decl/vaw/index.htm
Released on May 25 by the International Labor Organization, this 88-page report, the first released under the ILO's Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, examines significant trends and problems related to freedom of association and collective bargaining rights around the world. The report stresses the crucial role of both in ensuring decent working conditions and documents various violations of these rights across the globe as well as the dangers brought on by the rapid growth of informal economies. Users can read the report in its entirety or by section, although the full report, at 12MB is a surprisingly large download considering its length. The ILO site also offers background information, related publications, and a two-part video press release in QuickTime format. [MD]
[Back to Contents]River Watch -- NOAA
http://www.riverwatch.noaa.gov/
The National Weather Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has launched the River Watch site, providing up-to-date river forecast information for the nation's largest river basins: the Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio River Basins). Daily river level summaries are provided for each basin, in addition to five-day forecasts for river stage heights (in feet). This site also offers hyperlinks to river forecast sites for the other major regions of the US (Southern, Central, and Eastern Regions), and other related sites. For current information on river level conditions in the US, this is a top-notch resource, made more valuable by the geographical extent of its coverage. [LXP]
[Back to Contents]The National Academies 1999 Report to Congress
http://www.nationalacademies.org/annualreport/
Recently published by the National Academies, this annual report to Congress highlights some of the most important discoveries and policy issues discussed in the over 450 reports produced by the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council in 1999. These are offered in three sections: Health and the Environment, Social Issues and Education, and Engineering and Technology, each of which contains links to the full-text of cited studies and publications. Other portions of the report include lists of Studies and Projects Completed in 1999 and Current Congressionally Authorized Activities, and Revenue Applied to 1999. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture
http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.htm
This new site from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) complements a current series of email conferences: the Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture. The four conferences, which run from March 20 to August 20, discuss biotechnologies presently available in the crop, forestry, animal, and fish sectors (respectively) for food production and agriculture in developing countries. For the two forums completed (Conference 1) or underway (Conference 2), users can read the full background document and message logs. Users can sign up to join Conference 2 and Conferences 3 and 4 when they begin. A glossary of biotechnology terminology and contact information is also provided. For more information on current issues in biotechnology, see the May 10, 2000 Scout Report for Science & Engineering. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Information Collection Rule Data (ICR) -- EPA
http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/icr/
On May 18, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the online availability of all eighteen months of data collected under the Information Collection Rule, "a national research project to support development of national drinking water standards which protect public health." Users can access the data via the ICR Query button on the left-hand side of the page. Data tables on national levels of Microbials and Disinfection Byproducts are available as are state data, accessible via a clickable map. A User's Guide and background information on the project and data collection are also provided. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Art in Flux
http://www.art.uidaho.edu/artnet/bsu/contemporary/artinflux/
Created by Cheryl K Shurtleff of the Boise State University Department of Art, this metasite is a directory of resources for research in contemporary art. The annotated links are grouped in four sections: artists, museums, theory, and reference. Each section is rather sizable, and site descriptions range from none at all to a single sentence to a short paragraph. A fifth section, links, includes directories, funding resources, and miscellaneous journals. A useful jumping-off point for anyone interested in contemporary art. [MD]
[Back to Contents]New Additions to ERIC Digests Database
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/2000-5-18.html
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/2000-5-19.html
ERIC Digests Index Page
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/
The latest updates to the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Digest database (last described in the September 17, 1999 Scout Report) feature 35 and 49 full-text short reports, respectively, aimed at education professionals and the broader education community. Each report provides an overview of an education topic of current interest and offers references for further information. Sample titles include "Easing the Teasing: How Parents Can Help Their Children," "The Mathematics and Reading Connection," "A Science Fair Companion," "The Art and Science of Classroom Assessment: The Missing Part of Pedagogy," and "Guidelines for College Science Teaching Assistants." 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]
[Back to Contents]WEB4STUDY
http://www.web4study.com/
Produced by EBSCO Publishing, this new metasite links to a variety of online educational resources for K-12 teachers and students. While it claims to be different from other educational portals, WEB4STUDY is, in fact, a rather standard K-12 metasite, offering no original or on-site content of any note, and some link listings are surprisingly brief. However, the site is still worth a visit, as it covers some topics not offered by its peers, such as educational theory, pre-school learning, behavior and discipline, and college planning. The site can be browsed by grade, subject, or one of four principle sections: Parents, Teachers, Librarians, and Beyond Grade 12. An internal keyword search engine is also provided. Please note that some areas are still under construction. [MD]
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They Drew Fire: Combat Artists of World War II -- PBS
http://www.pbs.org/theydrewfire/
World War II Navy Art: A Vision of History -- The Navy Art Gallery
http://www.history.navy.mil/ac/wwii/history/history1.htm
US Army Center of Military History
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/default.htm
The first site is a companion to a new PBS film documenting the experiences and work of the more than 100 servicemen and civilians who served as combat artists in the Second World War. Serving or living with combat, medical, and other units of the armed forces, these artists produced over 12,000 drawings and paintings, many of which have not been seen since the war. At the site, users can browse a large gallery of paintings featured in the film, some of which are accompanied by remarks by the artist. Short biographies of the seven living artists featured in the film are provided, as is a list of related resources, including a history of World War II combat art programs. Two of the principal archives holding these works, the Navy Art Gallery and the US Army Center for Military History, have also placed a number of works online. A new exhibit from the Navy Art Gallery highlights the work of eight Navy combat artists, with brief biographies and thumbnailed images of some of their works. These include captions in the artists's own words, some of which were written on the reverse side of the paintings. While the US Army Center of Military History does not offer a special online feature on combat art, users will find numerous images from World War II and other conflicts throughout the site. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Image Gallery
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/
On May 22, NASA announced the "single largest one-time release of images for any planet in the history of solar system exploration," adding over 20,000 images to its Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Image Gallery. This huge collection is offered in three galleries, one for each of the cameras used: narrow angle, wide angle, and global images. Many of the images are of such high resolution that objects on the surface the size of a school bus can be seen. This remarkable archive covers one Mars year (687 Earth days) beginning in September 1997 and extending through August 1999. Background information and instructions on using the gallery are also provided. [MD]
[Back to Contents]UK MPs Network
http://194.128.65.140/
ukstate.com
http://www.ukstate.com/
A joint project between the UK Stationery Office and Astutech, this new site contains a searchable database with information on all Members of Parliament (MPs). Searchable by surname, constituency, postcode, or party, the database returns a photo, contact information, an overview of the MPs's work and responsibilities in the House of Commons, their constituency, and results from the last election. Please note that the database is still under development and many entries have yet to be completed. Over the coming months, the site plans to enlarge the entries to include "political biographies, Hansard references, and committee work," as well as pages for Scottish and European Members of Parliament and the Members of the Welsh Assembly. Users may also be interested in the new, consumer-oriented site for the Stationery Office, which offers a wide range of resources on the UK government and legislation, publications, and other information and services. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Two Political Sites from the PBS Democracy Project
Frontline: the battle over school choice [RealPlayer]
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/vouchers/
Best Practices 2000 (BP2K) [RealPlayer]
http://www.bp2k.org/
The first site complements a recent Frontline program on school vouchers. It analyzes the state of public education, explains school vouchers and charter schools, and offers links to state-by-state resources on school reform produced by the Heritage Foundation, Friedman Foundation, Center for Education Reform, and Education Week. The site also includes video excerpts and transcripts of interviews with the two leading presidential candidates, a synopsis of the program, and related links. Though associated with the PBS Democracy Project, the second site is actually produced by Wisconsin Public Television. Designed to help local television stations produce meaningful and innovative election coverage, the site provides information on past and future workshops and a number of video examples of notable political reporting. These are accessible via a straight catalog listing or by topic, such as Candidate Profiles, Citizen Voices, and Debates, among others. A collection of select, annotated links is also provided. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Newsline
http://www.rferl.org/newsline/
Current World News -- ISN
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/cwn/
Users interested in news items from Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and Central Asia that most news providers overlook should turn to these two sources. Published every weekday, the RFE/RL Newsline covers daily developments in these regions, as gathered by over 600 correspondents and regional specialists from nineteen broadcast services. Visitors can read the top stories for each region or the full text of Newsline issues at the site or subscribe to receive Newsline by email. Back issues are archived and can also be accessed via a keyword search engine. Since February, ISN, the International Relations and Security Network (see the June 16, 1998 Scout Report for Social Sciences) has been republishing selected stories from RFE/RL in a more specialized newsletter that concentrates on security policy issues and concerns, especially in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) region (North America, Western and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia, and Central Asia). These are presented in a daily newsletter which users can read online or receive via email. An archive and internal search engine are also provided. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Cemetery Records Online
http://www.interment.net/
Though a bit cluttered with sponsor ads, this free site is a useful tool for genealogy researchers, offering more than 292,000 records from over 1,800 cemeteries worldwide. Focusing primarily on the US, but including graveyards in Canada, Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, India, and Japan, among others, the site lists gravestone inscriptions that have been collected by the site authors or contributors. Visitors can browse the records by country or search by surname. A What's New section lists the latest additions, while the site's Cemetery Column publishes articles, book reviews, and other pieces related to cemeteries and genealogy. The site also links to a host of related resources, such as a cemetery directory and search engine, ancestry databases, and sites focused on obituary records and famous burials. [MD]
[Back to Contents]Howard Besser's T-Shirt Database
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/T-Shirts/
While the Berkeley Digital Library SunSITE has been home to a wide variety of searchable image collections, the recent addition of a T-Shirt Database is both a demonstration in cataloging realia as well an interesting glimpse at popular culture as depicted through t-shirt graphics. This database was constructed by Howard Besser's library school students and provides access to over 530 t-shirt images, searchable by title, artist, subject, description, and background color. Users may also search the database by selecting from a list of over 80 subjects, ranging from Academic to Pop Culture and War. Search results include thumbnail images of the t-shirts, catalog record information, as well as a link to larger views of each image. Howard Besser is Associate Professor at UCLA's School of Education and Information Studies. [AG]
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IDcide Privacy Companion [Windows 95/98/NT]
http://www.idcide.com/
This new free plug-in for IE 4.0 and 5.0 (Netscape and other versions are under development) helps users reclaim some of their privacy with easy-to-use icons in their browser that let them know when they are being "watched" by tracking networks and enable them to block the cookies these networks use. Importantly, IDcide distinguishes between local cookies that users may wish to allow, and network cookies, which profile their browsing habits from site to site. As opposed to some privacy software that blocks all cookies, IDcide users can select between three levels of privacy, allowing all cookies, only local cookies, or none at all. When alerted to possible tracking, users can view their privacy history, which reveals where persistent cookies were identified, who these sites might work with, and who can track them even when they visit other sites. Easy to download and install and probably the most user-friendly privacy software yet developed, IDcide is highly recommended. [MD]
[Back to Contents]RealPlayer 8.0 (Beta)
http://www.real.com/player/index.html?src=downloadr
New Features in RealPlayer 8
http://www.real.com/player/features/index.html
The latest Beta version of this ubiquitous streaming audio and video player offers full-screen video capability for broadband connections, an integrated Media Guide and Radio Tuner, support for streaming .mp3 files, and optional 3D sound (separate, but free, download). Users can download RealPlayer Basic 8.0 (Beta) for Windows and Mac for free at the Real.com site. [MD]
[Back to Contents]WebBrain (Beta)
http://www.webbrain.com/
Created by TheBrain.com, a visual information management software company, this new site offers a nifty way of browsing the Open Directory Project (ODP) (see the November 20, 1998 Scout Report). With WebBrain's animated interface, users can view their search and browsing results as a dynamic diagram instead of a long list. As with any other site that accesses the ODP, users can browse the Directory's 1.7 million sites by category or search by keyword. Due to the visual effects, however, faster connections and newer browsers are a must. Although the Beta claims it does not support Mac browsers, we were able to use the site, though with noticeably better performance from IE 5.5 compared to Netscape. [MD]
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China Trade Bill May Hit Rough Patch in Senate
CNNfn Special Report: China Trade [RealPlayer, Windows Media Player]
http://cnnfn.com/news/specials/china_trade/
Facts About China Trade Bill -- AP
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000524/pl/china_trade_glance_1.html
The China Trade Vote -- Policy.com/ Intellectual Capital.com
http://www.policy.com/reports/pntr/
The China Trade Debate -- PBS Newshour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/china/pntr/index.html
"Focus shifts to US Senate as China bill advances" -- China Daily
http://chinadaily.com.cn.net/cover/storydb/2000/05/26/mnbill.html
"Barshefsky Vows to Push Approval of PNTR for China by Senate" -- Xinhua News Agency
http://www.xinhua.org/english/htm/05261528301.htm
"Passage of PNTR bill welcomed by industry and government leaders" -- Tapei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2000/05/26/story/0000037501
"What's Good for China Is Good for Cuba" -- New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/oped/26neth.html
"What's to Keep China in Check Now?" -- The Oklahoman
http://www.oklahoman.com/cgi-bin/shart?ID=494628&TP=getarticle
"New opportunity to influence China" -- Santa Rosa Press Democrat
http://www.pressdemo.com/opinion/letters/26renoempireb.html
Final Vote Results for Roll Call 228
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2000&rollnumber=228
After passing by a comfortable margin in the House, the bill to establish permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with China may hit a bit of a rough patch in the US Senate, though eventual passage is all but assured. Opponents of PNTR with China from both the left and right have served notice that they intend to use delaying tactics in order to scrutinize the bill and introduce a number of amendments. On the left, Senators Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) appear poised to introduce numerous amendments supported by organized labor, which has waged an extensive and vigorous campaign against the bill. On the right, Senators Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.), along with Robert Torricelli (D-N.J.), have indicated that they will seek to modify the bill to establish some sort of monitoring process to slow Chinese weapons proliferation. Although the Finance Committee has approved the Senate's version of the bill 8-1, significant delaying tactics or numerous amendments could actually force the Administration to resort to the old practice of extending China's trade benefits on an annual basis as an interim measure. Once the Senate passes the bill, a House-Senate conference committee will be formed to resolve the differences, after which both chambers would have to approve the finished bill. With the party conventions and campaign season rapidly approaching, however, time may very well become a pressing factor, and could potentially affect the bill's passage in a number of ways.
Readers can begin with CNNfn's special report on China trade, which contains breaking news, analysis, background information, and video clips. A brief but useful summary of the main provisions of the bill is available from the AP (posted by Yahoo!). Another special report from Policy.com and Intellectual Capital.com offers a number of stories, briefings, analysis, and related links. More of the same can be found at the PBS Newshour special site on China trade. Reporting on the bill's passage has been surprisingly muted in China, but coverage from Chinese and Taiwanese perspectives can be found at the China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and the Tapei Times. Editorials on the bill have been posted online by The New York Times (free registration required), The Oklahoman, and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Finally, readers can see how their Representatives voted at the roll call listing at the Office of the Clerk of the House's site. [MD]
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