General Interest
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/
The motto of this fine site is simple: "In science, beauty. In beauty, science. Daily". A more pure expression could not be found to describe this lovely site offered by the University of British Columbia's Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research. The site focuses on a different high-quality photograph every day, complete with background information. Visitors can also view the site's archives, which date back to April 2005 and browse previously featured photographs, which are divided into categories that include conifers, lichens, mosses, and natural landscapes. Visitors will also want to check out some of organization's resources, including The Garden Weblog and the online garden forums. Finally, the site also affords visitors the opportunity to download desktop wallpaper for their own computer. [KMG]
Celebrating 10 years online, the Louvre Museum presents its newly redesigned website for 2005. Online visitors can view the museum's permanent collection of more than 175,000 works of art, by starting with any of the eight curatorial departments, or using the kaleidoscope feature for a thematic approach that groups works by themes such as Masterpieces, Water, or Daily Life. As an example, the Department of Painting showcases 177 selected works, which can also be viewed by country, or thematic trail. The site also provides access to databases, such as ATLA (works on display); the inventory of the Department of Prints & Drawings; and Joconde: Works in French museums. A few minor criticisms are difficult-to-read orange or purple navigational text on a grey background, and page design that anticipates new, wider monitors. If anything, the site is almost too interactive, and some visitors may feel stuck in a slide show. If you just want to see the Mona Lisa, or work by any artist, try the search box, to retrieve a simple list of results. Future plans for the site include more thematic trails, more personalization, and online ticket sales. [DS]
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2005/shelbyknox/
The debate over federally funded abstinence-only sex education continues to concern many across the country, and the Point of View series on PBS has recently addressed this issue through one of its thought-provoking shows. The show looks at this debate through the eyes of Shelby Knox, who when the show was produced was a teenager who became interested in this contentious subject. The site contains such compelling features as interviews with the filmmakers Marion Lipschutz and Rose Rosenblatt, some useful facts and statistics on sex education, and commentary from several policy-makers on sex education in schools. Also included on the site are a number of interviews with relevant persons about virginity pledges and the various gay-straight student alliance groups in high schools. [KMG]
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/programs/worldview/worldview.asp
Insightful commentary on events ranging from development tools in Sri Lanka to the fight to end poverty across the globe can be found on the Worldview program, which is produced by Chicago Public Radio. The program is hosted by Jerome McDonnell, who is ably assisted by a number of other staff members, including Steve Bynum and Andrea Wenzel. On the Worldview site, visitors can listen to archived programs individually, or by browsing some of their topical series which deal with such meaty topics as "The Present and Future of China" and "The Online War of Iraq". Some of the more recent programs are also equally compelling, including segments dealing with Brazilian film, the globalization of gangs, and Islam and human rights. [KMG]
http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/galleries/faith/
The Collect Britain project at the British Library has produced a number of nice virtual exhibitions during the past several years, and its latest offers an intimate look into the favorite sacred manuscripts of some notable individuals. Essentially, the British Library asked a number of well-known persons from different faiths to choose some of their favorite sacred manuscripts from the holdings of the Library. Saeed Jaffrey, one of the most famous Indian actors in the world, selects his favorite Islamic manuscripts here, which include images of the Taj Mahal and a Spanish Qu'ran from Granada. A number of other faiths are represented, including Jainism, Judaism, and Sikhism. For each object, each person was able to offer their own commentary, along with brief commentaries from Library curators. [KMG]
http://www.themeparkinsider.com/
As summer enters full swing, more and more people will travel to America's numerous amusement parks and traveling carnivals. Quite a few of these people would do well to take a look at the Theme Park Insider website for reviews of various parks and the best (and worst) attractions at each particular place of amusement before they venture onto the open road. Edited by Robert Niles, the site contains reviews of new amusement park rides, an "Accident Watch" (which documents the latest accidents at each park), and reviews of theme park hotels as well. The site also has a number of discussion boards for visitors to chime in with their own take on a number of topics, such as which rides have the longest rides and general amusement park lore. [KMG]
http://hermes.lib.olemiss.edu/mystery/
For those people who still think of Mississippi as solely being the land of such authors as Faulkner and his ilk, this fine online exhibit offered by the University of Mississippi Libraries may expand their knowledge of Southern writers. The exhibit prominently features the book covers of mystery novels written by a host of Mississippians, including such authors as Newton Gayle, Nevada Barr, and Colonel William C. Falkner. Here they may peruse the cover art of such novels as "The White Rose of Memphis" and Elmore Leonard's "Tishomingo Blues". For those who wish to locate authors by their location, an interactive map of Mississippi makes this process rather simple. The site is rounded out by a complete bibliography, which includes links to each work's cover art. [KMG]
