General Interest
http://eumc.eu.int/eumc/index.php
The European Union has a number of initiatives and organizations that are meant to deal with issues of human relations and creating a culture of tolerance. One such organization is the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). The EUMC studies various manifestations of racism and xenophobia. A basic overview of their more recent work can be found in the “Activities” section of the site. Here users will find information about their networking activities, their budget, and their mission statement. Specific work reports and helpful policy statements can be found in the RAXEN section, which contains topical documents such as “Policing Racist Crime and Violence” and “Migrants, Minorities and Legislation”. Visitors looking for the most recent documents issued by the organization should also consult the Publications area, which is contains the newsletter archives, annual reports, and discussion papers. [KMG]
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/douglass/
African-American owned enterprises in the South were not unusual phenomena in the early 20th century, but their records are often scattered and fragmentary. Keeping that in mind, this website is made all the more intriguing and useful, both for scholars and the web-browsing public. Created in cooperation with the Digital Library of Georgia and the Middle Georgia Archives, this collection consists of selected correspondence, financial records, contracts, and advertising materials from the Douglass Theater in Macon, Georgia. Among the documents visitors can look at here are advertisements for sporting events and vaudeville shows. For perspective, first time-visitors will want to take a look at a very thorough and well-researched background essay here that talks about the history of the Douglass Theater. Visitors should also take advantage of the browsing features, which will allow them to look at documents by author, date, subject, or subject. [KMG]
http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/livingsouthpole/index.jsp
The National Science Foundation sponsors thousands of research endeavors every year, and the general public may not be aware of the tremendous breadth of work they underwrite. In recent years, their website has featured special reports on some of their work, and this latest presentation on the U.S. South Pole Station is both visually stimulating and substantive. Some visitors may not know that the Station sits directly at the Earth’s axis, and that a third station will be completed in 2007. On this site, visitors can learn about this new station, and also take a video tour of the current facilities. Appropriately enough, visitors can also learn about the previous two stations, which include the Navy outpost constructed during 1956 and 1957. Finally, visitors can also peruse a timeline that tracks the important dates in South Pole exploration. [KMG]
In recent years, people in the fields of business and technology have developed a keen interest in creating products that are socially responsible. As a partnership between two nonprofit organizations (Business for Social Responsibility and the Green Business Network), the ClimateBiz website is a place for such persons to come together and learn from each other. The section titled “ClimateBiz 101” is a good place to start, as it offers an overview of the interactions between the world of business and climate change, and also provides insights into how to best utilize the entire site. Other sections are more self-explanatory, and include background articles (such as “Who’s reviving the electric car?”) and an “Ask the Climate Expert” feature. [KMG]
http://www.adec.org/resources/Forum_articles.cfm
Coping with the loss of a loved one can be a difficult process, and one that confounds even the most prepared individual. It can be equally difficult for those who work in the funerary industry, particularly those who are relatively new to the profession. Both groups will find this online resource to be very helpful. Created by the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC), this newsletter, The Forum, provides articles about such sensitive topics as bereavement rituals, perinatal loss, the grief of grandparents, and group methods in thanatology. In total, visitors can browse over twelve complete newsletters at their leisure. Additionally, users may also wish to share these resources with those dealing with similar issues. [KMG]
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2006/dada/index_f.html
MoMA presents this web site on the style of art known as Dada to accompany an in situ exhibition at the museum. One of the main components of the site is a selection of Dada art from the museum's permanent collection, with works by artists such as Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Kurt Schwitters, and Jean Arp. There are some interactive features as well - visitors can make a Dadaist poem, by following Tristan Tzara's recipe: cut all the words out of a newspaper article, put them in a paper bag, and shake. Pull the words out one by one and write them down in order to finish the poem. There is also Fauxtogram, a web near equivalent of Man Ray's photograms, photographs that were made without a camera, by placing objects on light sensitive paper. Finally, visitors can travel virtually to see the Dada exhibition's previous installations at the National Gallery of Art, and the Musée National d'Art Moderne-Centre Pompidou. [DS]
http://www.indianahistory.org/library/digital_image/digitalpics.html
From the steel mills of Gary to the nooks and crannies of French Link, there’s a great deal to learn about in the Hoosier State. Compiling, archiving, and disseminating through all of it is the very fine Indiana Historical Society. Few self-respecting state historical societies are without a polished website these days, and Indiana’s provides over 17,000 digital images for the historically-minded visitor. Housed in the William Henry Smith Memorial Library, these images include a number of well-regarded individual collections, including the one dedicated to “Notable Hoosiers” and “Indiana Through the Seasons”, which brings together printed ephemera that highlight the state’s appearance during the vibrant autumn to the bitter winters. One thematic collection that should not be missed is the “Panoramic Photograph Images”. Here, visitors can view panoramic images of the early days of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race along with photos of military encampments, conventions and sprawling company picnics to name a few. [KMG]
In recent years, it has been difficult for journalists to report stories from areas involved in civil war, armed conflict, and general conditions of despair and hardship. Despite these adverse conditions, a few journalists have set out to document some of the stories that can be found in these places, and Kevin Sites is one such journalist. Beginning in 2004, Sites set off to document stories in Iraq, Somalia, Uganda, Cambodia, and about a dozen additional places. Drawing on a wide range of technological resources, Sites has documented the sex trade in Southeast Asia, the struggles to establish a democratic state in Myanmar (Burma), and the lives of students in Syria. On this site, visitors can watch video clips from each region, learn about the equipment he uses to document these stories, and also read about his mission and goals for this project. Reading Sites’ diary entries is a particularly valuable experience, and visitors are encouraged to leave their own comments. Overall, this is a fine site, and one that might serve as a model for others hoping to do similar work. [KMG]
