The Scout Report -- Volume 15, Number 40

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/Programs/Metro/metro_monitor/09_metro_monitor/09_dc_monitor.pdf

Everyone is concerned about the economic recession, and the Brookings Institution has a number of its research analysts in its Metropolitan Policy Program investigating the situation. This 13-page report released in September 2009 is part of the "MetroMonitor" series, which tracks quarterly indicators of economic recession and recovery in the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas. The good news (at least in this report), is that the Washington region is recovering fairly well, and that the labor market remains relatively healthy. On a less positive note, the report notes that the housing market in the area is quite weak, and that banks continue to hold a large share of the area's properties. The report includes a number of helpful charts and graphs, and it also offers some comparative figures that gauge Washington, D.C.'s performance alongside other major metropolitan areas. [KMG]

http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/

Expert Voices is a "science teaching information exchange" sponsored by the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). The topics covered are science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and it's geared towards teachers of all levels, as well as students. The blogs are divided up into three sections: "Recent Posts", "Who Says", and "Hot Topics". "Recent Posts" are, as they sound, the most recent entries added to blogs, with a description of the entry, as well as the blog to which it was posted. "Who Says" lists the names of active blogs, sorted by audience level including "K12 Teachers", "University Faculty", "Librarians", "NSDL Community", and "Informal Learners". Some of the blogs fall into more than one of the aforementioned audience categories. Helpfully, there a "Larger Text" option is provided on the top of the far right hand side of every page. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

https://secureapps.libraries.psu.edu/digitalbookshelf/

Known as the Beaver Collection, after General James Addams Beaver, this digital collection is comprised of materials from four Pennsylvania libraries, and consists mainly of "Pennsylvania county histories, atlases, and Civil War regimental histories." Visitors can search the collection by title, author, or subject. A particularly interesting piece of history from the collection can be found by clicking on "Browse All Titles", and scrolling down to image #9, which is a multi-part document that lists thousands of names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French, and other immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727-1776. In addition to names, the multi-lingual document also provides the ships they came on and when they arrived in Philadelphia. Visitors interested in saving any of the documents in the collection can save them in their "Favorites", and they can choose to save a whole document or just a page within the document. [KMG]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/literatureofprescription/

Those visitors unfamiliar with the unsettling and terrifying short story, "The Yellow Wall-Paper", by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, are fortunate that this National Library of Medicine website provides a PDF of the story in its original form that first appeared in 1892 in The New England Magazine. At the bottom of the homepage, visitors need just to click on the image of a page underneath the heading Digital Documents, to read the dozen page short story. The story shed light on the treatment of women by the medical establishment, especially in regard to mental health issues. The "Education" tab near the top of the page, offers several high school lesson plans and a higher education module, for use with the exhibition. The high school lesson plans are for an English class and a Health Education class, and are about women and medicine, and mental health, past and present. The higher education module takes a look at 'The Troubled Mind in Medicine and Society". [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.cares.missouri.edu/

Based at the University of Missouri, the Center for Applied Research and Environmental Systems (CARES) is committed to integrating "the social, physical, and biological sciences to better understand human, natural resource, and environmental issues and problems." Along with their scientific mission, CARES also features a strong community outreach component, and visitors can use the "Map Room" to create their own customized economic, demographic, physical, or cultural maps of Missouri. This area also contains a series of interactive maps of the state. In the "Projects" area, visitors can learn about the Center's recent work, such as projects dealing with the ecological economic impacts of landscape change across Montana and the uses of an integrated resource management system. Also, visitors won't want to miss the "Community Issues Management" area. Here visitors can learn about the ways in which this system allows local governments and organizations to take advantage of spatial data in order to deliver a wide range of services. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.archive.org/details/naropa

Founded in 1974, the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University has sponsored thousands of talks, lectures, and readings over the past four decades. The school was started by poets Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg, and they managed to bring important leading figures of the U.S. literary avant-garde to talk with students and others. The Internet Archive has created this very engaging archive of over 830 items, including readings and lectures from the school's various gatherings. The funding for the project came from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the GRAMMY Foundation. Visitors can check out the "Spotlight Item" on the left-hand side of the page, then take a look at the most downloaded items to the right. Some of the talks include a reading of "Howl" by Ginsberg, a lecture on public discourse by William S. Burroughs, and recordings from a number of conferences dedicated to the work of Jack Kerouac. [KMG]

http://bioethics.stanford.edu/

The Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics is "dedicated to interdisciplinary research and education in biomedical ethics, and provides clinical and research ethics consultation." The materials on their site are divided into four sections: "Programs", "Research", "Education", and "Service". In the "Programs" area, users can learn about their work in areas such as "Biomedical Ethics in Film" and "Arts, Humanities and Medicine". Moving along, the "Publications" area allows users to learn about the Center's current grants and publications authored by Center faculty members. The "About" area is also helpful, and visitors can read their in-house newsletter and learn about upcoming conferences and lectures. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/hhm/index.html

Hispanic Heritage Month spans the latter half of September and the first half of October, and this Smithsonian Education website provides information about this celebration for educators, students, and others. First-time visitors should click on the "Virtual Tour" to get started. Starting with some lively music, the feature allows visitors to learn about Latino culture through a close look at important items from the Smithsonian's collections, along with a timeline and a quiz. Visitors can even create their own tour of the objects as well. Back on the homepage, the "Teaching Resources" area is one that shouldn't be missed. Here visitors can look over other relevant collections, including an exhibit from the National Postal Museum titled "Celebrating Hispanic Heritage" and "A Puerto Rican Carnival". Additionally, visitors can sign up to receive updates and look over a calendar of nationwide events. [KMG]

http://poetry.eprints.org/

Listening to poets is always enjoyable, and this collection of poetry readings is quite a pip. The site contains performances from the past five decades, and visitors can listen to dozens of British poets read a host of different works. On the homepage, visitors can browse through these offerings via the areas "Poet", "Date", and "Location". The earliest recordings here include the Scottish modernist Hugh MacDiarmid reading "Moonstruck", "Stony Limits", and "The Eemis Stane". Other poets represented in this collection include Allen Fisher, Caroline Bergvall, Harriet Tarlo, and Attila the Stockbroker. The site also includes a set of links to other online audio collections, performance organizations, and online performance archives. [KMG]

http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/inharmony/welcome.do

People in Indiana know a fair bit about four-part harmony. For that matter, they know about all types of harmony, and this digital collection pays homage to their musical traditions. The IN Harmony Sheet Music collection was created as part of a partnership between the Indiana State Library, the University Lilly Library, the Indiana Historical Society, and the Indiana State Museum. The sheet music here includes music from 1800 to 1989, and visitors can browse these materials by name, title, year, instrumentation, genre, or subject. Browsing by subject is quite enjoyable, and some of the more curious topics include "Aging", "American Bison", "Sausages", and "Vice-Presidents". In addition, visitors can use the graphical interface on the homepage to pick out potential musical gems by their cover art. [KMG]

http://www.uwm.edu/Library/digilib/pol/index.html

During his career, Harrison Forman worked as a foreign correspondent for a number of media outlets, including the New York Times and NBC. The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee holds over 98,000 of his photographs, and so far they have created thematic collections from his travels to Afghanistan, Tibet, and China. This rather unique addition contains over 90 photographs taken by Forman in Poland during 1939. The homepage features a scrolling slideshow of the images, and after watching for a few moments, visitors will want to go ahead and use the search engine to look for specific items. Visitors are also encouraged to browse through the photographs, or perform a more advanced search. The collection also includes Forman's article "Filming the Blitzkrieg" and a selection of related newspaper clippings. [KMG]

http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/

If you've never been to Cincinnati, this website might lead you to take a trip to this corner of southern Ohio. The holdings of the Cincinnati Art Museum span the globe and a variety of artistic traditions, and their site functions as a healthy sampling of what's offered currently and in the future. A good place to start is the "Collections" area. With grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and other organizations, they have digitized hundreds of works from their collections, and made them available here. Their holdings in American painting and sculpture are definitely worth a look, and users can look at works like Paul Chidlaw's "Boogie Woogie" and "The Harvest Dance" by Joseph Henry Sharp. After perusing these items, visitors will want to check out the "Exhibitions" area. Here they can learn about upcoming exhibitions at the museum, along with looking over highlights from past exhibits. Finally, the site also offers detailed information about visiting the museum and a detailed calendar of events. [KMG]

http://www.museevirtuel-virtualmuseum.ca/index-eng.jsp

A collection of collections, the Virtual Museum of Canada has items from many different museums across Canada. It can also help those who want to visit offline, as the site also includes museum news and details for those who want to visit Canada's museums. The "Virtual Exhibits", "Image Gallery", and "Teachers' Centre" tabs near the top of the homepage should not be missed. The "Virtual Exhibits" have a variety of different offerings, including exhibits on war orphans from the Holocaust, a Cariboo civilization, and a history of Olympic bids. In the "Image Gallery", a thumbnail of each image or object is provided along with its title and clickable link to the museum where it came from. Visitors should click on "More" or just on the image, to read details about the item and see an enlarged version of it. There are over 780,000 images to view, so visitors might want to bookmark the site for subsequent visits. The "Teachers' Centre" contains "Lesson Plans", "Featured Museum Learning Resources", and the ability to browse all the learning resources for grades one through university levels, and even adult learners. [KMG]

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created this uniformly excellent site to help the general public learn about the H1N1 flu. The homepage is well-organized, and it contains helpful social networking buttons, along with direct links to email updates, and their RSS feed. Here, visitors can also read the "Situation Update" section, which includes a map of the United States showing the weekly flu activity estimate maps and a number of other charts and tables. The site is chock-full of other helpful resources, including a section dedicated to "General Info" about the flu, information about vaccinations for individuals and public health officials, and a "What's New" area. The site is rounded out by a selection of podcasts and video clips. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://scholar.library.miami.edu/pozo/

The Cuban Heritage Collection of the University of Miami Libraries was a recipient of 17 original illustrations by Alberto del Pozo in 1998 from the Campilli family. "The Oricha Collection" is their gift, and it contains illustrations in pen, crayon, and ink and the collection "pays homage to the primary gods and goddesses that comprise the Afro-Cuban religion of Santera." The "Introduction" near the top of the page, is a good place for visitors to start learning about Pozo, who was a Parson's School of Design-trained, Cuban artist who died at the age of 47. The "Biographical Sketch" is worth looking at as well. Examples of his colorful, heavily patterned and symbolism-intensive drawings of Santeria gods and goddesses can be found in the link "Gallery". The description of each drawing is given in English and Spanish. Finally, visitors interested in more information on the Santeria, can look at the "Further Readings" link for authoritative books on the subject. [KMG]

http://www.time.com/time/detroit

Time magazine's online project highlighting the ups and downs of Detroit is a feature that is quite insightful. Time's project attempts to give people in other parts of the country an inkling of what it's like to live in an area that relied so heavily on one industry, and what the people of the area have been doing to survive, and flourish, despite the withering of the auto industry. With more than two-dozen articles and photo features on every major aspect of Detroit, the project touches on failures, successes, aspirations, and realities. The article on the influx of Iraqi refugees since 2007, entitled "For Iraqi Refugees, A City of Hope," shows how the same city can mean the end of a life to some, and a chance at a beginning, to others. Time's yearlong project allows readers to gain some perspective on those enduring a uniquely uncertain time. [KMG]

http://www.radiosure.com/

Are you looking for pop music from Senegal? The latest news from Romania? It's a fairly safe bet that you can use RadioSure to locate radio stations that will fit the bill. With this program, users can search over 12,000 radio stations, and even use a record button to save audio segments for later use. The stations are categorized by style of programming, city, and language. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 2003 and newer. [KMG]

http://www.picsalive.com/

PhotoViz provides a way for users to improve their photo images by offering a bevy of features, including tools that can be used to adjust contrast, saturation, and sharpness. The real novel feature here is the ability to embed text messages and file attachments within images. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 98 and newer. [KMG]

F.T.C. to Rule Blogs Must Disclose Gifts or Pay for Reviews [Free registration may be required]
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/business/media/06adco.html?hp

Bloggers face disclosure rules
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-bloggers6-2009oct06,0,4733519.story

FTC Tells Amateur Bloggers to Disclose Freebies or Be Fined
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/10/ftc-bloggers/

FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

Concurring Opinions: FTC and Blogger Disclosure Rules
http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2009/10/ftc-and-blogger-disclosure-rules.html

Google Blog Directory
http://www.google.com/press/blogs/directory.html

Regulating the Internet is a bit like lassoing a cloud: You might be able to do it, but it will probably get away from you sooner or later. This Monday, the Federal Trade Commission issued rules regarding the relationships between advertisers and online product bloggers that have some freedom of speech advocates and prominent bloggers up in arms. It is well known that many bloggers receive products from companies eager to receive positive feedback on their consumer goods, and the Commission was concerned about the issues of disclosure in this regard. Beginning on December 1, those bloggers who review various products will now have to disclose whether they received free products and also if they have any formal ties to companies. In a commentary on the decision, Richard Cleland, the assistant director of the division of advertising practices at the FTC noted "We were looking and seeing the significance of social media marketing in the 21st century and we thought it was time to explain the principles of transparency and truth in advertising and apply them to social media marketing." Some industry groups expressed displeasure with this recent decision, and many in the blogosphere wondered how the government could possible provide oversight of the thousands of product-related blogs that currently exist. [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a New York Times piece from this Monday which talks about the rules issued by the Federal Trade Commission. The second link leads to a similar article from this Tuesday's Los Angeles Times. Moving along, the third piece leads to an article from WIRED's "Epicenter" column. Here, visitors can read comments from a number of bloggers who write product reviews and also read some engaging questions raised by this decision. The fourth link will whisk users away to the Federal Trade Commission's press release on the matter. The fifth link leads to a fine post from Professor Deven Desai of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law regarding this recent decision, complete with additional links to a relevant paper he wrote recently on the subject. For a bit of fun, the last link leads to Google's Blog Directory, which contains more than a few blogs related to various Google activities and initiatives in the world of public policy, technology, and so on.