http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/start.asp

National and International Jazz Appreciation Month happens to be April, but this shouldn’t stop visitors from celebrating the richness of this form of musical expression during any of the other eleven months of the calendar. The Smithsonian Jazz initiative has created this very fine website that brings together oral histories from jazz greats such as Artie Shaw, information about the Smithsonian’s own Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and a very fun “This Day in Jazz History” feature. Amidst all these gems, the interactive exhibit on the very real and enduring musical brilliance of the late Duke Ellington should be looked at in close detail. Here, visitors can listen to clips of some of his musical compositions, and learn about his work as a composer, bandleader, and pianist. [KMG]

http://www.nap.edu/webcast/webcast_list.php

With their numerous publications, working papers, and other research materials, the National Academy of Sciences contributes mightily to the vast body of scientific research that grows with each passing day. Their Office of News and Public Information is responsible for assisting in the dissemination of these findings through public briefings, news conferences, and other meetings. Many of these events have been placed online here as part of their webcast archive, and visitors can listen to material from 1999 to the present. Some of the recent events posted to the archive deal with the importance of second-language acquisition, progress in preventing childhood obesity, and the future of emergency care. Additionally, visitors can click on the link to the Office’s homepage to learn more about upcoming webcasts and to read recent press releases. [KMG]

http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com/multimedia/iba/njn/index.html

Along with cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore, Oakland has struggled with an outbreak of homicides in the past year, and many residents remain frustrated and troubled about this situation. Bringing together a set of video interviews, online message boards, and stories from different people affected by the violence, this interactive site was created by staff members at the Oakland Tribune. Visitors will get the chance to learn about one man’s struggle to come to terms with his son’s involvement with gang violence, another woman’s mission to help others who have dealt with the murder of a loved one, and the ripple affect of a single homicide. Overall, the site presents an interesting and multidimensional portrait of the ongoing struggle in Oakland, while also providing a human and personal perspective to this difficult subject. [KMG]

http://www.cgnews.com/

The world of computers graphics is a fast-moving one indeed, and for those in this line of work (and those who would like to be), the Computer Graphic News website is a good place to go for the latest developments in the field. Starting with the “News” area, visitors will find stories about innovative film trailers and the ongoing work of innovative graphic studios around the world. The “Features” area primarily contains interesting interviews with computer graphic designers and their work on films, cartoons, and other media. The “Reviews” area looks at the use of different design packages and their application in films such as Spiderman Returns, Charlotte’s Web, and others. Finally, the site also offers a job board and different training events and seminars. [KMG]

http://www.who.int/gender/en/index.html

The World Health Organization’s Department of Gender, Women and Health (GWH) “brings attention to the ways in which biological and social differences between women and men affect health and the steps needed to achieve health equity.” On their homepage, visitors can look at the right-hand side to get quick information about upcoming events sponsored by the GWH, read their monthly update, and also click on a link that will take them to the latest publications from the GWH team. On the left-hand side of the page, visitors can learn more about some of their specific areas of interest, including work on gender-based violence, gender and HIV/AIDS, and gender mainstreaming. Additionally, the “Gender and other health topics” area includes information sheets on gender and blindness, gender and mental health, as well as many other topics. [KMG]

http://www.workshopoftheworld.co.uk/

The West Midlands region of England has been an important center of commerce and industry for well over five hundred years. The city of Coventry was a dominant center of wool and clothing manufacturing in the Middle Ages, and Birmingham was a prime location of industry during the Industrial Revolution. Drawing on the collections of museums in Birmingham, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent (and others), the Workshop of the World website brings together some of the compelling inventions that came out of the West Midlands region in the 19th century. Visitors can look over several dozen of these inventions, including an automatic wood screw making machine, a button shank making device, and a rotative steam engine. Each object is accompanied by a photo or illustration, and a short essay gives detailed background information about the object’s importance and use. [KMG]

http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/collections/HDC.html

Like many of his peers who were "to the manor born", Sir Henry Dryden was a 19th century Brit who was fascinated with archaeology and the world of antiquity. Before his death in 1899, he produced thousands of architectural and archaeological drawings based on the things he saw and studied during his travels around Britain and Europe. Recently, a consortium of institutions including the University College Northampton digitized a number of Dryden’s drawings, and subsequently placed them online here. Visitors can browse the materials by date, or by topics that include archaeology, arms and armor, and church architecture. The heraldry area within arms and armor is worth a look, as it contains some highly detailed renderings of various coats of arms and heraldic shields. Overall, the collection provides an interesting look into one man’s passion for the built environment and the world of 19th century Britain. [KMG]

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cwaj/

On this web site from the Library of Congress, over 200 modern Japanese prints, known as hanga, are on display. The prints were collected by the College Women’s Association of Japan (CWAJ) for a juried exhibition to celebrate the Association's 50th anniversary, and have been donated by the CWAJ to the Library of Congress. The prints in the show run the gamut from figural, such as "White Clover" by Yasuko Enjyoji, to abstract, such as Hidehiko Gotou's "Another Night", an image that recalls Georgia O'Keefe. Although most of the prints were created since 2003, there are some that look quite traditional, for example, "Nanzenji in Snow" by Masao Ido - a woodblock print showing village roof lines in the snow; as well as other examples that apply traditional techniques to non-traditional subjects such as Masahiro Kurita's "Night at the Train Station I" - a woodcut depicting commuter rail station. [DS]